Teaching him, Learning from Her
by Ravengal101
Summary: Hiashi believes that Neji and Tenten are like two mandarin ducks - a match made in heaven. Neji disagrees but when he needs a wife by his side in order to lead the clan, Hiashi tries to be a little more convincing.
1. Decisions, Decisions

"Talking"

'_Thinking'_

This whole chapter has more or less been rewritten because I simply couldn't continue the story as it was without making a few changes. I started this story when I was much younger and I want to try to give it a more mature feel. (Emphasis on try).

**Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto there is no way that the show would be this good.**

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_**Decisions, Decisions**_

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Neji's bare feet gently padded against the wooden floor as he quickly made his way to the Hyuga meeting room. Considering that the elders had called a meeting at five in the morning, it was obviously urgent: it was a well-known fact that those cranky old men weren't morning people. However, ever since Hiashi's stroke, they'd been holding confidential meetings for quite some time (most of which he wasn't invited to) so the fact that his presence was needed this time around was quite a surprise. Nevertheless, it didn't take a genius to figure out that they were probably discussing who would be Hiashi's replacement and whoever it was needed to be taught the ropes before Hiashi kicked the bucket.

Soon Neji found himself staring at the imposing shouji door that separated him from the Hyuga meeting room. Schooling his features to what was customarily seen by his superiors, he pushed the door aside and entered. He greeted the elders with a bow and then took his seat between Hinata and Hiashi. Unconsciously, he began to discreetly survey his associates at the table and noticed that some other persons who were previously branch members were invited; this further peaked his curiosity. Hiashi dragged him out of his musings when his deep baritone cut through the silence that had blanketed the room.

"As most of you already know, I will soon renounce my position as head of the Hyuga Clan," he began, causing a few raised eyebrows. That piece of information wasn't new to most as the course of action was decided upon at the last meeting: it was simply more logical to have Hiashi teach the next heir how to perform his job with whatever time he had left instead of serving as the clan head until his death.

"I recently suffered from a mild stroke and as a result, I've been advised by Lady Tsunade to relax and cease any stressful activities…albeit that task in itself is difficult but I'm coping," he admitted, generating a few chuckles from those who truly understood the truth in his confession. "Therefore, considering the great deal of stress that accompanies my position, it poses a serious threat to my health and I will soon be resigning."

The tension in the room immediately thickened. The question on everybody's mind now was: who would replace him? After all, Hyuga Hiashi's position was a highly desired role and very few people in the room could truthfully admit that it was a role that they wouldn't want. Hiashi allowed the silence to linger for another minute as he watched his clansmen noticeably ponder the answer to the unspoken question.

Clearing his throat, he continued in a confident voice.

"The elders and I have had many discussions and we've arrived at the conclusion that it is now time for the clan to assume a younger leader. It is now a time of change and - after the Fourth Shinobi World War – we have learnt and accepted that great things can happen when we ignore our differences and work together to achieve a common goal. Due to this revolutionary view we have removed and banned the Juinjutsu (cursed seal); thus uniting the branch house and the main house – completely altering the structure of the clan."

"Still, the goal that we share as a clan is to uphold our legacy and ensure that the secret of the Byakugan is protected. As such, in choosing the new heir, we had to select someone who would always have the clan's best interest at heart and serve devotedly…and I must confess that it was a difficult decision because we had many worthy candidates." Hiashi paused, allowing his clansmen to grasp what had been said.

"Neither of my daughters will be taking the position," he disclosed bluntly, surprising most of the room. Neji glanced at his two cousins, his eyebrows raised in curiosity. "They conceded the position to someone who is, and I quote,_ 'more deserving'._"

"So, within three months, my nephew (Neji) will be assuming my position…if he accepts of course," Hiashi stated with a smile - his voice laced with pride - as he looked to his confounded nephew for a response. It was quite obvious that the young man was shocked as – for once in his life – he allowed his emotions to be written clearly across his face in the Hyuga meeting room (a place where he was always guarded and impassive).

"There is no one more suited for the job," Hiashi gently reassured. "After all, no one in the history of the clan has ever mastered all Hyuga techniques. It simply shows that you can accomplish whatever you wish with endless dedication and unadulterated talent."

All eyes in the room peered curiously at him.

"Neji, do you accept?"

After a moment of humble introversion, Neji graciously accepted the title. From the room's reaction (self-assured nods of approval) Neji figured that most of them had already warmed up to the idea. All the same, he knew that it wasn't exactly that simple; after all, it was mandatory for every Hyuga head to be wed before he was declared as leader of the Hyuga Clan and Neji was sure that he would be no exception.

"Will I be faced with an arranged marriage?" he asked apprehensively out of curiosity.

"No," was Hiashi's straightforward reply. "But we contemplated it. Is there someone that you'd wish to have by your side?"

"No, Hiashi-sama."

"Within the twenty years of your existence, you have never fallen in love with anyone?" Hiashi inquired, in a somewhat disbelieving tone.

"Never." His tone was as serious as cancer. "Romance and love are overrated and a waste of my time; they are not things that I believe in, or ever wish to be blinded by."

"It's a pity to hear you say that," Hiashi sighed. "It would have been ideal for you to marry someone that you loved."

Neji almost laughed at the statement; when did Hyugas ever care about love? Marriages in his clan were arranged to foster growth in power or wealth; it didn't matter whether the ones to be wed were in love with each other (or someone else) or not.

"And why is that, if I may ask?" Neji inquired, his eyes twinkling with amusement. Hiashi had expected this reaction from his nephew.

"Hyuga Hiro, Hyuga Hatagime, and my grandfather, Hyuga Hitashi; what do they all have in common?"

"They all defied clan law by choosing to wed outside the clan," Neji easily retorted (his clan's history was a walk in the park for him) while contemplating the motive behind the question.

"Yes, and they were arguably the clan's greatest leaders, were they not?"

"Debatably, yes," Neji agreed, still confused.

"Behind every strong man there is a good woman, Neji. Research has proven that nowadays leaders who aren't forced into arranged marriages perform better than those who are. Bearing in mind our clan's track record, the concept is logical. Your great-grandfather was one of the few who refused the bride that the clan had chosen for him since birth; rather, he married another woman who he loved...and she was an outsider at that. Despite that they ruled impeccably together."

"And you hope that I and another woman will be able to recreate said history?" Neji snickered at the absurdity; the idea couldn't seem more far-fetched to him.

"Indeed," Hiashi acknowledged, "It is a rather radical thought, I must admit, but it's...an experiment, for the lack of a better word…one that we hope produces good results."

"I'm afraid I'll disappoint you because…honestly, me, falling in love is unheard of," Neji countered candidly.

"Well, we thought that many things were impossible; namely, someone mastering all Hyuga techniques, but you proved us all wrong, young man." Hyuga Hinjo, a former branch elder who openly favored Neji, stated. "I don't believe that it will be too hard for you to fall in love, we simply have to find the right woman."

At this point, Neji was convinced that all these old men had finally gone senile. Were they really planning on using HIM as their guinea pig to see what would result if he led them with a woman that he (quite unlikely) fell in love with? He couldn't help the guffaw that escaped him at the unbelievably ludicrous thought.

"There are things that I know that I am incapable of, Hinjo-san," he began frankly. "I will never be able to win in a battle against Naruto; it will always end in a draw. But me…falling in love? Love is not altogether a delirium, yet it has many points in common therewith. Why on earth would I voluntarily subject myself to such an emotion?"

An aristocratic burst of laughter from a far end of the table brought Neji's attention to Hyuga Hana (Hinjo's benevolent wife, known for her wisdom but even more for her ever present smile).

"You are young and naïve, Neji. You have dedicated so much of your life to training and improving yourself that you have barely even begun to enjoy it. When love is not madness, it is not love. Men love because they are afraid of themselves, afraid of the loneliness that lives in them, and need someone in whom they can lose themselves as smoke loses itself in the sky. Keep love in your heart, Neji. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead. The consciousness of loving and being loved brings a warmth and a richness to life that nothing else can bring. It's unwise to say that you don't wish for love when you haven't the slightest inkling of what an amazing pleasure it is that you're actually missing…you still have a ways to go, my boy."

"Indeed he does," Hiashi agreed.

Immediately, Neji felt like he was five years old again, receiving a scalding lecture from his dad who had caught him stealing cookies from the kitchen. Nonetheless, he tried to unravel the truth in Hana's words. He considered her a wise woman and knew that whatever she said always held significant meaning so he could at least reflect on her words.

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Hiashi languidly entered his room with a pleased smile. Slowly, he climbed out of his formal outer robes until he was left in a pair of simple, black loose-fitting trousers and a slack dress shirt. Wasn't he getting too old for these match-making schemes by now?

Regardless, he would ensure that his nephew marry someone that he loved before he died. After all, how to love was the most important lesson that he could ever teach him, though he wouldn't be able to do it on his own. No, this situation would require a certain woman's assistance.

Having nothing better to do, Hiashi reached for the magazine that lay on his night table and skimmed through the article that had captured his interest (as well as every other Hyuga elder's) to re-read it before he'd lend it to his lovable nephew. He glanced at the pictures of a gorgeous woman that littered two whole pages of the magazine. Although he should have learnt to expect this sort of behavior from Neji by now, it still amazed him that his nephew had known her for so long and had not managed to fall in love with her. A smirk crept across his features at the thought.

_'He always has complete control over his emotions and actions…but hopefully not for long…with a little help from you.' _

His eyes drifted like a moth to a flame to a picture which he particularly adored. In it, the woman lazily leaned against a railing donned in black sportswear yet still appeared incredibly sexy. She wore a pair of barely-there shorts that hugged her shapely thighs tighter than tights on a quarterback with "KONOHA" printed on the back in dimmed yellow letters. Her top – some sort of a hybrid made from combining a halter top and a tube top – was patterned in the colors of the national flag with vertical stripes.

The somewhat modest V-neck gave a wonderful view of the cinnamon freckles which haphazardly dotted her bosom and sections of her shoulder like spilt salt. The word "Konoha" bled along both sides of the collar in bold, red letters – contrasting brilliantly with the black t-shirt. Beautiful waves of brown silk descended past her shoulders all the way to her waist where they danced gracefully in the wind while a few defiant strands fell in her face and curtained her astonishingly striking eyes. The captivating pools of caramel dangerously drew Hiashi in even though he was simply admiring a picture. He never knew that brown eyes could be that enchanting; they pierced through his soul with promises of sinful fun and unabashed desire.

She was the true image of a temptress and he was going to use her to change his nephew's outlook on love.

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Re-writing this was a pain in the you know where...I hope you guys understand the clan dynamics better now. Leave a review to tell me what you think. Do you hate the changes or do you like them?


	2. Dinner with the Hyugas

"Talking"

'_Thinking'_

**Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine. **

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Dinner with the Hyugas

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Morning met the new Hyuga heir nestled comfortably in the grass beneath a shady Sakura tree as the green blades mercilessly tickled him with a little help from the gentle breeze drifting through the garden. The air, perfumed with the scent of the various flora which decorated the area, was clean and refreshing. A serene silence lingered in the clearing save for a few birds that proudly sang their pleasant melodies. Of the entire Hyuga compound, the Hyuga garden was the only place where everyone simply came to relax and quietly enjoy the scenery. To Neji, it was a peaceful retreat where he could contemplate his thoughts and meditate.

The proceedings of this morning's rather early meeting were still raw to him. He was beyond thrilled that he was chosen to chart the course of his clan at a time when only first-rate leadership could be accepted but it also terrified him. Considering that the cursed seal was now removed, it was easier for their enemies to steal the Byakugan and unravel its secret. A Branch member's Byakugan would no longer be sealed after death. Therefore, he wasn't just saddled with the task of leading the clan; he was also responsible for protecting over a hundred clansmen and ensuring that their ultimate weapon remained in their hands - and their hands only.

As soon as the meeting had ended, he had begun second guessing himself. For once in his life, Neji was plagued with insecurities as he wondered if he was really the one that the clan needed now. He quickly dismissed the thought when some arrogant part of him blistered and roared out a reminder of his achievements. After all, it was he, Hinata and Hiashi (among a few other Hyugas) who had so ardently rallied for the removal of the cursed seal and a complete restructuring of the Hyuga clan. It was he who, upon having his own seal removed, had learnt the technique and helped with the removal of the seal from the other Branch members as well. And it was he who went above and beyond to ensure that peace and unity prevailed now that the houses weren't divided. As such, Neji made sure to keep a watchful eye on those Branch members that had been particularly bitter towards the Main House in the past. However, in time it became obvious that those feelings of hatred had no place but in the past…he made that clear anyway.

Although he was merely twenty, during the two year _"Revolution"_ (most of his family had coined the term…their unoriginality never ceased to amaze him) he was often sought for counsel by those well beyond his years and from both sides of the family. His first visitor, a member of the council who was also a cousin - removed so many times he lost count - had sought him out after dinner to inquire whether or not he really believed that the clan was prepared to deal with the ramifications which would occur when the cursed seal was removed. He had been so flabbergasted when he saw the man in his room, seeking _his_ opinion on the delicate subject, that it had taken him about two minutes of gawking before he emerged with an intelligent answer. Over time, he discovered that his clan trusted him unswervingly and that was the most flattering compliment that could have ever been paid to him. Ergo, Neji was determined to prove that he was worthy of being entrusted with their faith.

Tentatively, he brought a hand to the beautiful silver pendant that always rested around his neck and caressed it lovingly.

_'If only you were here to see it,'_ Neji thought bleakly as the pendant opened with a slight _click _to reveal a picture of his parents sitting together with a tiny bundle in their arms. His father stared back at him with his warm pearly eyes – uncontained mirth evident in their gaze - as his raven haired mother smiled lovingly at a miniature version of him wrapped in a white blanket while little Neji's tiny fingers reached up for her excitedly. Staring at this frozen memory always evoked a myriad of emotions within him.

Abruptly, he closed the pendant before nostalgia overwhelmed him. From what he had been told, in their time his parents had also toiled to sow the seeds of _"The Revolution"_ and it was truly a shame that neither of them had lived long enough to see it. He could just imagine how happy his old man would have been to see his forehead bare of the mark that had forced him to live a life of servitude. The thought made his lips curl into a rare smile.

Stretching leisurely, he soaked in the beauty of the clear blue sky lying above him. Within a second, he was robbed of his view as he was instead graced with the sight of a certain kunoichi who was as much of a stranger to this place as the birds were to the trees. She stood before him with her hands akimbo, looking peeved.

"You stood me up, Hyuga," she ground out, staring at him indignantly.

"Ah," Neji replied apologetically, remembering their training session that was scheduled for the wee hours of the morning. His lips drew into a thin grimace and his eyes shown with guilt: the legendary Hyuga apology. "Sorry…I got held up."

"What was so important, anyway?" Tenten demanded, knowing that the only thing that separated Hyuga Neji from training was a fatal illness or important clan business.

"A meeting," came his cryptic response.

"What about?" Tenten grilled, barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes at his vague reply.

With a boyish smirk that was dangerously close to a smile, Neji explained. "I've been made heir to the throne…so to speak."

He could literally see the gears turning in her head as she tried to figure what the hell he just said. "What?"

"The Clan has chosen me as the new heir that will succeed Hiashi," Neji clarified as if he was talking to a toddler with severe brain damage.

This time he watched as her face lit up brighter than Christmas lights, adorned with a goofy smile as she looked more than ready to tackle him. "That's great!" she exclaimed, tackling him into a hug (as he suspected).

"I know. I can barely wrap my mind around it…it just seems too good to be true," he replied, wrapping his hands around her and pulling her closer to reciprocate the hug.

"Yeah, well no one deserves it more than you do," she reaffirmed, pulling out of his hold to look him in the eyes. "Mr. Hyuga-Prodigy-slash-ANBU-Captain-slash-Hiashi's-pride-and-joy."

"Hn," he acknowledged amusedly, "…There's one drawback though."

"What's that?" The question left her lips as soon as he finished his sentence.

"I'd have to get married before I can assume the position," he said with an annoyed sigh. "It would be beyond unorthodox if I don't and, despite the fact that they've been changing so many things nowadays, some things just don't change. Personally, I don't mind but the problem is that Hiashi seems to want _ME _to wed someone that I love."

"I see," Tenten replied, while rubbing her chin sagely. Slowly, she rested her head on his muscled abdomen and stared up at him with obvious laughter swimming in her eyes which she tried to hide for his sake as he wallowed in misery.

"Just go ahead and laugh," Neji obliged indifferently, too content to consider it a blow to his ego. And laugh she did…for a good two minutes the clearing was filled with nothing but her euphonious laughter which eventually watered down to a fit of giggling.

"Must you always overindulge?" Neji snapped when her laughter refused to abate.

"I'm sorry," Tenten apologized while trying to stifle her giggles, "It's just too funny!"

"Unbelievably hilarious," Neji added sarcastically. Clearing her throat and leaving nothing but a charming smiled on her face, Tenten initiated an interrogation.

"Do you have anyone in mind?"

"No," he scoffed, "this isn't something that I usually mediate on; but...when I considered it this morning, my mother kept coming to mind."

"Your mother?" Tenten repeated - half in disbelief, half in utter puzzlement.

"Yes, _my mother_," Neji affirmed, reaching for the pendant around his neck again. Tenten watched as Neji's face became overshadowed by a faraway look as he lost himself in his memories.

She waited patiently for him to respond, taking in the wonderful scent of 'Neji' which was currently clouding her senses. Something about his scent always seemed to relax her and it pleased her endlessly to intake deep breaths of it. Though, when about five minutes went by without him speaking she tugged gently on his shirt, bringing him back to their conversation. Sparing her a glance, he continued, "I never met her…you know that. I guess…because she wasn't around I didn't have anyone to brainwash me from an early age about the joys of love and the true beauty of a wife."

"Yeah right," Tenten chaffed with a smile, "Gai-sensei and Lee made a valiant attempt, you just dismissed it as crazy talk."

"Well excuse me for not believing that it would be beneficial to actually listen to a conversation riddled with crap about _'the thrills of youth and young love!'_" Neji retorted testily. "My love life has suffered immensely as a result. Women cringe when they hear my cheap lines taken straight off some sleazy site on the internet."

"Hey!" Tenten admonished playfully, "Careful with the sarcasm; I'm the only one with the copyrights." He flashed her a fake grin in response…which eventually transformed into a genuine one.

"So…" she began casually, "what are you looking for in a girl to begin with?"

"Well, my standards aren't that high but…" he replied contemplatively, "she's gotta be someone that I can hold a meaningful conversation with, that's for sure." Tenten nodded, urging him on. "She's has to be smart–"

"Brains over beauty?" Tenten interrupted impishly, perfectly mirroring his smirk.

"I'm not willing to sacrifice either," Neji scoffed before adding: "I'd like a beautiful smile and an inviting personality…She has to be an excellent kunoichi – brave, skilled and determined. I couldn't stand being married to some delicate china doll…Plus, as a perk, I'd appreciate it if she can get along with my family," he concluded pensively, mentally reconsidering his list to make sure that he hadn't left anything out.

"And your standards aren't high?" Tenten asked incredulously, staring at him in disbelief.

"You do realize that you just described the young lady that you're sitting with, right?" a voice behind them perceptively interjected.

"Don't mistake bravery for stupidity Uncle," Neji warned jokingly in response, which earned him a not-so-light jab from his teammate.

"She's a lot like your mother actually," Hiashi continued, ignoring his nephew. Tenten turned towards him and - with her head being pillowed by her right hand – stared up inquisitively at Hiashi form her spot on Neji's abdomen. Neji also made an effort to hear out his uncle.

"She was a strong, reliable and indomitable kunoichi. Hoshiko's beauty and radiant personality was second to no other. Your mother had a smile that made the gloomiest day cheerful and warm eyes that shone brighter than the stars on a pitch-black night. She was really easy to talk to…sweet and wise. You never got the chance to meet her Tenten but you two would have gotten along swimmingly." Hiashi smirked when he observed her rosy cheeks, flushed redder than the Chinese flag.

"Be careful," Neji whispered pulling her to him so that he could relay his message directly into her ear, "I think my Uncle is hitting on you." Ignoring the electric shocks that his voice sent ricocheting throughout her body, Tenten giggled before whispering her response back into his ear; her hair gently brushed against his face, hitting him with the sweet scent of strawberries, "Shut up."

"How long have you two known each other again?" Hiashi questioned conversationally after clearing his throat, regretfully interrupting whatever they were doing that appeared so…intimate.

"Fifteen years," Tenten supplied with a smile.

"Fifteen years too long," Neji mumbled, earning himself a harsher jab than before.

Ignoring their antics, Hiashi asked, "Will you be joining us for dinner later this evening Tenten?"

"No thanks," she answered politely, "I don't want to impose."

"I insist," Hiashi countered, "We haven't had the pleasure of your company in the longest while."

She looked to Neji for his opinion and received nothing but a blithe shrug but when she met Hiashi's hopeful eyes, her response was quite obvious (she knew better than to deny Hyuga Hiashi twice over something as trivial as dinner).

"Um…why not?"

"Delightful," he remarked benevolently. "As a matter of fact, there's a matter that I would like your opinion on in any case." Before Neji could get the opportunity to ask his Uncle which 'matter' he spoke of, the old coward had already hightailed it back to the manor with a fairly mischievous smirk on his face. For the second time that day, Neji got the feeling that his uncle was scheming something and he didn't like it.

* * *

Dinner with the Hyugas was…for the lack of a better word…interesting.

Whenever she dined with them it always surprised Tenten how normal and yet how strange they were. Take right now, for instance: the lights in the room were dimmed and candles positioned along the table served as the room's main light source while soothing music (from the 20th century?) added to the romantic ambience. She felt like she was on a date with most of the timeworn men in this room!

Tenten barely heard Hiashi's opening remarks before he called for the appetizer to be served, she was too busy inspecting the table – looking for a familiar face besides the two sitting beside her. Almost instantly, she spotted Hatsumi and Arashi: the Hyugas' very own soap opera. Always the charmer, Arashi seemed to be smooth talking his way through whatever mess he'd gotten himself into this time around while Hatsumi's resolve visibly crumpled and vanished like the dying flames of a fire during a tempest – despite her admirable attempt to remain angry with him. With a delighted smile, Tenten watched the display unfold as she strained her ears to eavesdrop on their conversation.

Arashi tenderly took her delicate hand in his before lacing their fingers together and planting a chaste kiss on her hand. "Forgive me?" Hesitantly, Hatsumi nodded her consent; straight, shiny auburn locks shifting gently with the slight movement.

"Love me?" he questioned again with a fetching grin. Hatsumi inspected his features deliberatively, gauging if he deserved a response. When she peered into his lavender eyes which always betrayed his emotions all she met in their intense gaze was love. With an affectionate smile, she flipped their hands and returned her own kiss to his palm. "More than you deserve to be loved."

"Will you two ever change?" Tenten asked in a friendly tone, barely getting the words out through her giggles.

"Will you and Neji ever admit that you're together?" Arashi countered with a mischievous smirk, causing Tenten to roll her eyes exasperatedly. "For the umpteenth time, Neji and I are NOT together," she replied, annoyed; enunciating the last three words for emphasis.

"Some things never change then," he replied, a charming smile plastered across his lips. "Honestly, I was beginning to wonder if he dumped you since you haven't visited in a while."

Tenten regarded the blonde, curly haired man a little ways away from her with a look of disbelief and amusement evident in her warm, brown eyes. Like he said, some things never changed. Of all the people in Konoha, no one questioned her relationship with Neji more than he did. She could understand the doubts that people had about them actually _not_ being an item because she and Neji were very close and spent almost every waking moment together. They were also quite publicly affectionate…but those little gestures spurred from fifteen years of friendship rather than lust. However, Arashi quite adamantly believed that _'the chances that they weren't fucking were 0 to none.'_

Before Tenten could mutter a reply, a haughty voice increased her anger substantially.

"Tenten, what are you doing here? I honestly thought that the maids took out all the trash…I'll tell them they forgot you."

She didn't even have to look to deduce whose voice had interrupted her from delivering her well-conceived comeback to Arashi. Turning to none other than Hyuga Harue, she sneered.

"What? You can't stand to be in a room with women who actually DON'T treat their legs like revolving doors to move up in the shinobi ranks?"

Tenten proudly observed as Harue's mouth fell open at her insult. "Excuse me, you little b-"

"That's enough from you Harue!" Hiashi's deadly voice interrupted; his fist which collided loudly with the dinner table nicely emphasized his point. "Not only have you been unnecessarily impudent to my guest but you also have the audacity to attempt to use such crass language during dinner; as it is quite obvious that you cannot stay in the same room as Tenten without acting like an uncouth _bimbo_, I demand that you leave…_now_."

Apprehensively, Harue met Hiashi's heated stare - shamed and outraged - before apologizing and leaving as she was instructed. The atmosphere immediately became tense. It never ceased to amaze Tenten that Harue resented her with such commitment simply because she bested her in a match three many years ago. The girl had relentlessly been dishing out insults to her whenever she was in earshot ever since.

Soon, the maids arrived and served the appetizer: a steaming hot serving of tempura with grated daikon and tentsuyu sauce. Just when Tenten was about to dig in, Arashi's airy laughter erupted from his throat like viscous lava from a volcano. He had been struggling to contain it since Tenten uttered her wisecrack which effectively shut Harue up. His contagious laughter spread to others at the table like an epidemic until Tenten found herself giggling as well.

Eventually, the room eased into a comfortable silence save for the slight clink of the chopsticks against the fine China. A conversation between two men sitting across from her got Tenten's attention; they were discussing a new tattoo.

"Can I see that?" Tenten requested, her head tilted cutely to the side while she tried to get a glimpse of his new ink. With a smirk (honestly, was it the only facial expression that the family could muster?), he outstretched his left arm and showed her the plain text printed in black ink below his palm: **Stay Strong. **

"Why'd you choose that caption?" she queried again – unable to contain her naturally curious nature…as usual.

"I lost a comrade a month ago…She would always remind me to 'stay strong' whenever we were in a tight situation," he explained nonchalantly (though the nostalgic undertone in his voice didn't go unnoticed by her). "So, I got it in her memory for motivation on the battlefield."

"Oh," Tenten muttered, hating herself for bringing up painful memories for the guy. "I'm so sorry…" All she got was an acknowledging nod in reply.

"...You know…I have one too."

"You don't say…" the guy's brunette friend piped curiously, his eyes boldly scanning her body for the alleged art.

"Does yours represent something?" the one with the tattoo responded after shooting his friend a cautioning look.

"Yeah," Tenten replied while dipping a piece of her tempura in sauce. "It was my mother's catch phrase so I had it done for pretty much the same reason as you…"

She popped the deep fried seafood in her mouth, savoring its delectable taste. In about five minutes, the maids had arrived to replace the dishes with large bowls of Chawanmushi; Tenten tried to hide the fact that the very scent of the soup made her mouth water. Just as she was about to taste the undoubtedly delicious meal, the tattoo-guy (as she'd decided to call him) engaged her in conversation again.

"If you don't mind me asking…how did you cope? It's been a month and I still can't go through a day without looking at any memory I have of her…"

With a melancholy, and faintly dark, chuckle she proceeded to answer the guy's question. "With friends…a good friend is a treasure when you're grieving." She spared Neji a glance. "I was really young when my mother died so we weren't super close or anything but when you go to bed on Christmas Eve and wake up early the next morning to a house of dead relatives, you can't ever develop a coping mechanism strong enough to get over that." Suddenly, her soup didn't seem so appealing anymore…

The room once again descended into silence and the mood transformed from comfortable to uneasy in the space of exactly three seconds…an act (Tenten was sure) only the Hyugas could accomplish.

"By the way," his friend began coolly with a coy smirk, brushing some stray silver strands from his face with a graceful flip of his head. "Where's your tattoo?"

"Hidden," was her curt response. She nervously tucked imaginary strands of hair back into place in an attempt to hide the faint blush coating her cheeks.

"Really?" he persisted, "Mind showing me?"

"I'd have to undress to do that," Tenten explained as her blush intensified.

The silver haired man raised a pleased eyebrow. "Well I'm sure no one at the table would mind that," he assured her, earning himself a glare from Hiashi and a light punch from his friend sitting beside him. On the other hand, a few younger, male Hyugas stared at him in a mixture of admiration and respect before redirecting their attention to her expectantly. Barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Tenten huffed "I would."

"It's on her lower back, Hagane," Arashi supplied obligingly.

"What does it say?" the tattoo guy inquired hesitantly, after apologizing on his friend's behalf.

"_Live in the Moment_ in Chinese," she answered with a forgiving smile. Again, the room settled into silence; Tenten fascinatedly observed Arashi's attempt to feed Hatsumi a piece of shrimp while she stared at him as if he was crazy. They were just too cute!

"You know…" Hagane began with a characteristically roguish smile and Tenten just knew that she wasn't going to like what would be said, "I bet you would show Neji."

Throughout most of dinner Neji hadn't paid much attention to what was being said; he was too absorbed in his thoughts regarding the "matter" which Hiashi wanted to discuss with Tenten. He was quite certain that it was related to his marriage. As he mulled over it, all that he could come up with was that Hiashi possibly wanted her help with choosing a suitable wife for him. And if that was the case, he would ensure that he weaseled her out of the task because he was well aware of her feelings for him and forcing her to aid in that decision would be rather heartless.

"Pfft," Arashi perked up brazenly as he directed his intense, searching gaze to her. "I'm positive he's seen her naked."

At that moment, Tenten's blush surpassed Hinata's when Naruto finally confessed his love to her. Staring down into her soup like it was suddenly the most interesting thing in the world, Tenten bashfully played with a strand of her hair while doing her utmost best to ignore the two, prying men. Apparently, Hagane took her silence as confirmation as he dropped his eating utensil in shock. He stared at her wide-eyed (by Hyuga standards at least) with a brow raised so high it disappeared into his hairline. "He's seen you naked?"

Swallowing an expletive before it escaped her mouth, Tenten stared challengingly at the aggravating pair, absolutely piqued. "I locked myself out of my house a couple days ago, stark naked…when he decided to show up," Tenten admitted, motioning to Neji, with a face that was the definition of the word embarrassed. Arashi's pleased guffaw only made it worse.

"Lucky bastard," the tattoo guy snickered, regarding Neji in sheer jealousy.

"What can I say?" Neji replied, unable to resist the chance of rubbing it in his face. "I was in the right place at the right time." His blithe reply had the whole table laughing which only multiplied Tenten's embarrassment.

"Pay up!" Arashi blurted smugly to a man seated beside him, collecting money for winning a bet…the details of which Tenten didn't want to know.

"That's nothing," a familiar voice piped in from a couple seats beyond Neji. "One time, I was skateboarding across a street downtown when I hit a rock and flew off my board. It happened in broad daylight right in front of a very crowded Ichiraku Ramen Bar and _everybody_ saw. When they realized that I was a Hyuga…they were practically rolling in the aisles."

When Tenten finally glimpsed her savior, she realized that it was Mariko (a fellow tomboy who she would train with sometimes whenever Neji wasn't available) and flashed her an appreciative smile; knowing for a fact that the girl only said that to lessen her embarrassment.

Seemingly, everyone felt like sharing tonight because as soon as Mariko's story ended, Hyuga Hana decided to put in her two cents. "I'll tell you about humiliation! When Hinjo and I got engaged centuries ago, my sister (who I shared the house with) decided to throw us a surprise engagement party. She stuffed over 50 people in the basement when Hinjo and I were under the impression that she left the house. When we were quite _engaged, _she called us - spurting some lie about a broken dryer in order to get us down into the basement…And what a surprise it was when we came running down the stairs – completely naked – to a room full of friends and family!" This time around, Tenten found herself laughing first; the sound spread through the room like rays of sunshine.

"I haven't been able to un-see the sight ever since," Hiashi added disapprovingly. And so, dinner continued with random persons telling their personal, mortifying tales until dessert arrived. Even Hiashi offered a quip about him and Hizashi getting caught for some horrible deed when they were much younger. Soon, Tenten's Chawanmushi was replaced with a plate decked with three sticks of dango, a few uiro of various flavors and even a fortune cookie! She was beyond happy that she hadn't declined Hiashi's offer now.

"You know," the tattoo guy voiced uncertainly, sparking up another conversation. "Your story sounds startlingly similar to the Christmas Day Massacre."

"They are one and the same," Tenten replied while taking the first ball from her delicious dango into her mouth.

"Oh…My condolences..."

"What's your name?" Tenten inquired with a soft smile, changing the subject.

"Hiroshi." The name seemed to fit his personality perfectly.

"Wait a minute," a female cut in (Tenten vaguely remembered her being called Hideyo). "Since you were the only person who survived that massacre you should have _billions_."

"Yeah," Tenten replied with a chuckle, "I _should_ have but it's all been disbursed already." At that moment, every pair of eyes at the table (excluding Neji's) seemed to all direct themselves to her simultaneously; some clouded in disbelief, others in disgust.

"On what…if I may ask?" Hideyo queried skeptically.

"Many different projects in other countries," Tenten answered. "Building orphanages, homes, hospitals, schools, etc.; funding industries that are terribly lacking; and covering their protection fees. To be honest, I always distributed it wisely so that I would never run out and would therefore be able to continue with my charitable ventures but after the war – investing hasn't been as profitable now as it was before. So, I decided to donate to the countries that needed it the most (which were a lot) and in due time, my resources were completed depleted."

"That's rather careless; probably, if you had funded fewer countries you might have had some money left."

"Indeed; and I could leave that in a bank with what I already earn to accumulate and take out a bit now and again to buy a few designer handbags or shoes, right?"

When Hideyo decided to withhold an answer, Tenten sagely expounded. "The world could be a much better place if some persons simply put the needs of others above their own. I don't mind doing it, it's not hard and I don't lose out on anything by doing it; in fact, I think I profit more. My parents worked hard for everything that they had and I don't mind doing the same, regardless of it it's _rather careless_ or not."

That confession earned her a few raised eyebrows and, upon further inspection, those eyes that previously shone with disgust before now glittered with veneration and praise.

"Well said," an elderly man known for making similar speeches complimented. He was a reasonable distance away yet Tenten could easily decipher the smile in his voice.

"Thank you," Tenten responded as sheer delight split her face from ear to ear. Before long, she found herself listening to the instrumental being played in the background and she couldn't help but to admire the amazing guitar solo.

"Remember these?" Neji delicately twirled a green tea flavored uiro on a toothpick before he deposited it into his mouth and placed the tiny tooth pick to the side of his plate.

"Of course," Tenten whispered in response. "I got in trouble stealing them with you when we were younger, remember?" His light chuckle was music to her ears.

"What was it that you said again?" Tenten pondered aloud, tapping her chin delicately with her index finger.

"It's not an adventure if there's no chance of you getting in trouble." His smirk was teasing.

"Exactly; and I believed you."

"Like an idiot."

"Well I'm pretty sure there was some brainwashing involved," Tenten scoffed.

"Excuse me?" Neji countered in disbelief. "You were the one who practically glued yourself to me since our first meeting."

"As if you wanted me removed," Tenten retorted with a smile sparkling like water in the sunlight.

"Actually I did; I simply tolerated you because my father raised me better." The boyish grin plopped on his face only served to annoy her.

"Yeah, right...you couldn't survive a day without me."

"If you say so…" Silence held the room in her cozy embrace and when Tenten realized that the song "Butterfly" by Jason Mraz was playing in the background, she quietly sang along while fixing her last dango balls into a 'creative' formation. Her constant movements caught Neji's attention and he looked up just in time to see her sit back in her chair, smiling approvingly at her creation. The balls were huddled together to form the number ten twice (1010), representing her name.

"What are you, three?" he questioned with an entertained smirk.

She stared at him with a look of mock insult covering her face. "It's art!" she remarked while gesturing to the _thing_ on her plate. "No," Neji corrected while placing his last piece of dango into his mouth, "it's a rather sad attempt at it."

"Fine, I'll make something cooler," Tenten announced, rolling her eyes. She had Neji's undivided attention because he was slightly interested to see which strange thing she would make next; munching on another uiro, he patiently watched 'art' unfold.

"Tada!" she finished smugly as the pink ribbons of her lips gently tugged upwards. Neji stared at it for a while, trying to figure out exactly what it was but he frankly had no idea what the thing was supposed to be. Tenten easily realized his confusion and explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world: "It's a dog."

His warm laughter bubbled from his throat and - as much as Tenten always loved to hear it – a cute pout etched itself across her face because he was laughing at her awesome dog. "Again," he replied, cutting his laughter short, "It's just another sad attempt at art."

"I hate you," Tenten whimpered, and in movements so swift Neji barely registered them, she stole his last uiro from his plate - and it was his favorite flavor at that.

"Don't you dare," Neji warned, with a promising threat laced in his voice as he glared icily at her. Cheekily, Tenten brought her face closer to his and fearlessly delivered her response. "I am NOT intimidated," and with that she propped _his_ last uiro into her mouth _and_ laughed in his face.

"Aren't you a little too old to be playing with your food, Tenten?" Arashi teased.

"You're one to talk," Tenten countered playfully. Using her distractedness to his advantage, Neji chose that moment to stealthily steal Tenten's last ball of dango, smirking when her surprised and pleading gaze met his as he dropped the delicious morsel into his mouth pitilessly. She fixed him with a look of pure hatred which he returned with a sugar coated, "I hate you too."

"_In the end there are three things that last: faith, hope and love; and the greatest of these is love."_ Hinata's voice disrupted their little staring contest when she read her fortune aloud.

"Oh, I totally forgot about that," Tenten muttered as she broke hers and took out the message. _"Your heart will always make itself known through your words."_

"_Love is for the lucky and the brave,"_ Hanabi added a few seconds after. Tilting her head to the man sitting beside her, Tenten stared expectantly at Neji – waiting for him to open his cookie. "Aren't you going to open it?"

"No," he deadpanned. Sighing exasperatedly, Tenten took the cookie from Neji's plate and read his fortune as soon as the diminutive strip of paper revealed itself. _"The one you love is closer than you think…" _

"Now that's gotta be the most accurate fortune cookie I have ever seen," Arashi quipped with a snicker, causing Neji to roll his eyes and Tenten to blush as his insinuation wasn't lost to either of them.

For the remainder of the night, dinner passed wordlessly and uneventfully. The maids returned to clear the final set of dishes from the large table and Hiashi cordially dismissed the diners, watching uninterestedly as everyone dispersed, leaving only himself and Tenten behind. Standing confidently, he walked over to the beautiful young woman and offered her his arm. "Walk with me."

* * *

"It was always rumored that the Hyugas had the most beautiful gardens in all Konoha," Tenten stated conversationally, attempting to break the ice. "Seeing it now in this lighting, I have to admit that for once the rumors are true."

She gawked, frozen in awe of the gardens, while her tender gaze caressed each flower/plant that her eyes landed on. Although she was no newcomer to the gardens, she had never had the satisfying privilege of viewing it at night. Magnificent sakura trees stood as the dominant feature of the entire landscape; their blossoms beautifully carpeted the ground beneath them in an array of from very nearly every Shinobi nation decorated the well-kept grass like expensive jewels on royalty.

The first time she came here, Tenten was pleasantly surprised to discover some plants that she had no clue could thrive in Konoha's climate; the fauna ranged from blue poppies, azaleas, white egret orchids, maiden lilies and magnolias to white hibiscuses, acacias, amaryllises, begonias, jasmines and even cacti. The area was faintly lit by lanterns strategically placed around the gardens to allow persons to enjoy its beauty despite the time. Fireflies also danced spiritedly in the open air like glowing balls of light shining luminously in the obscure clearing. Regardless of how nerve-racking Tenten expected the upcoming tête-à-tête to be, the gardens would most certainly calm her.

"I assume that you're wondering why I called you here," Hiashi announced in his rich, tenor voice. Tenten nodded in response while staring suspiciously at the current Hyuga head; Hiashi was well-known for his straightforwardness and the fact that he chose to start the conversation on that note somewhat worried her – how bad could whatever he had to say be?

"Within three months Neji will succeed me as the head of the Hyuga Clan. By clan law he has to be wed before he can assume the position and, considering that this _is _Neji that we're taking about, finding him a suitable wife won't be an easy undertaking," Hiashi reiterated in order to stall what he actually wanted to ask her for just a little while longer. Her light laughter met his ears, as well as the gentle ruffling produced by the fabric of her indigo kimono as she made her way to a nearby bench. Silently trailing behind her, Hiashi went into further detail.

"You are his best friend Tenten so I believe that you at least know what he would appreciate in a woman," he stated cautiously, sparing her a glance to see how she was taking the new information. Her face was blank as she steadily met his gaze from her position on the bench; albeit, the apprehensive and afflicted look betrayed by her dirt-brown orbs didn't go unnoticed by Hiashi's observant eyes.

"…The members of the council and I have narrowed it down to three women since Neji entrusted us with the decision." He smirked at the poorly hidden curiosity sparkling in her eyes. "Still, we kept his options limited so that he would be forced to choose the specific girl that we had in mind…Two of his choices are Mariko and Hatsumi."

Her brows furrowed together as her face contorted in shock before she arrested him with a disappointed glare. "They are both dating someone else! Plus, Neji associates with both couples. Why would you choose them?"

"For the very same reasons that you just pointed out," he affirmed, "All of you – Mariko and her significant other, Hatsumi, Arashi, Neji and you – are very good friends. Neji wouldn't even consider choosing those girls because he doesn't have the heart to break up their relationships. So, like I said before, we have practically forced him into the decision."

'_How can he stand before me smiling after doing something so manipulative?'_ Tenten wondered, aghast. _'And who is the last girl that they are striving to place at Neji's side anyway?' _As if sensing the question which was threatening to sprout form Tenten's mouth, Hiashi sprang one of his own.

"Be that as it may," he sighed, "Neji could throw a curveball on us and actually select either Mariko or Hatsumi. If that happens, who do you think would be more fitting?" Swallowing her own question, Tenten considered the one Hiashi posed – becoming so lost in her sea of thoughts that her name left Hiashi's lips three times before it broke through her hazy mind. When her gaze finally refocused on him, Tenten noticed that Hiashi had moved towards a rosebush which boasted a single blue rose. It laid majestically in the shrub, shielded protectively by sharp, spiky thorns, and appeared to reflect the moonlight illuminating the clearing. For some reason, it gravely reminded her of Neji – so beautiful…yet so unattainable.

"Personally, I would choose Mariko." The words felt like broken glass as they left her lips. "Hatsumi is a bit too delicate for his tastes and, as much as he claims to despise Arashi, he is much too fond of him to steal Hatsumi from him. What's more, I vaguely remember that Mariko had a crush on him when we were younger…Maybe you can take advantage of those feelings again."

At some point during her confession, Tenten had gracefully wandered towards a beautiful marble fountain a few feet away. She always admired how lovely it was, especially the couple of marble koi fish locked in a tight embrace in the middle of the fountain. Their emerald eyes glittered sadly in the moonlight as they both spurted water in opposite directions over their partner's shoulder; it trickled, slowly and silently, like the tears Tenten desperately wanted to release. The irony of the situation was hard to ignore; she had just chosen a wife for the man that she had loved since Kami knows when…she had given someone else the position that she had dreamt of filling for most of her teenage life.

Resisting the bitter laugh that fought to tear itself from her throat, Tenten hoisted herself unto the edge of the fountain and stared expectantly at Hiashi. "Well, who's the other girl?"

He smiled; she frowned, her heart burning with jealousy.

"Well…she's quite the catch…even both my daughters agreed with us for once," he stated affectionately. Leisurely combing her fingers through her long, brown locks, she pulled it into a side ponytail and spent a few seconds inspecting the style – using the water as a mirror. Forcing down the lump in her throat, she nonchalantly remarked, "You are avoiding the question Hiashi-sama…who is she?"

"You're staring at her," Hiashi replied as a soft smile etched itself into his wrinkled face.

'_What the hell is he talking about?' _she thought, trying to puzzle out his statement. _'The only persons here are just us two.' _Tenten stared at the way her eyebrows knit in thought as her face peered back at her through the water's surface.

_'Wait a minute.'_ She was staring at **her** reflection –

In a motion so slow and indecisive yet careless and convinced, Tenten regarded the Hyuga. Her striking eyes were engraved so deeply with emotions he was left standing transfixed.

"It would be an honor to have you in this family," he humbly acknowledged, finally revealing what he had kept from her all night. With a smile, he watched her beaming in the open darkness, her bright crescent moon smile as brilliant as the star-studded sky above them.

* * *

As soon as Neji stepped inside his room after dinner he immediately realized that something was off. However, upon inspection, he noticed that nothing was missing; actually, quite the contrary had occurred. Sitting on his sofa was an opened, girly-colored magazine which he most certainly hadn't placed there.

Leisurely taking a seat on his couch, Neji curiously clutched the foreign item. The first thing that caught his eye was the message left atop the page of interest in what he recognized as his uncle's hand writing. As he read it, he could literally hear the teasing tone of his uncle's voice in his mind: _Enjoy reading, my dear nephew._ Below that - in glittery pink bold letters - was the title of the gossip article; Neji never knew that those simple words could ever cause him more discomfort in his whole life.

_**"Ten reasons why Neji and Tenten belong together."**_

* * *

Geez, this was long. Honestly, it got me wondering if I overdid it...and if I did, I'm sorry.

R&R, please? My pathetic life is nothing without your comments. :'(


	3. Of Articles, Meddling Uncles, and Bets

**Responses to reviewers:**

_Midnight Insomniac: Thanks for your list, it was a HUGE help._ Also, thanks to everyone else who took the time to review and others who simply read this; it was much appreciated.

* * *

For my first newspaper article, this didn't turn out so bad. This is – without a doubt – my favorite chapter so far; I hope you guys love it as much as I do.

'_Thinking'_

"Talking"

'_**Inner Thoughts'**_

**Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine.**

* * *

Of Articles, Meddling Uncles, and Bets

* * *

Neji stared at the magazine article in bewilderment and curiosity. "Ten reasons why Neji and Tenten belong together," he read aloud, somewhat mystified, while contemplating whether to read or discard the absurd thing. Then, upon realizing that it probably would help him to figure out what his uncle was plotting, he decided to satisfy his curiosity.

*** Ten Reasons why Neji and Tenten Belong Together ***_**  
**_

**Reason 1:** They look perfect together; it's the union of Aphrodite herself with an equally hot Greek god. One could only find it logical that two extremely good-looking persons should be together, right?

**Reason 2:** Hyuga Neji and Tenten equates to superb genius - with an IQ that's through the roof - and expert conventional thinker. They make the perfect pair as they complement each other amazingly in this way; Neji is a genius with the ability to create and alter strategies within milliseconds while Tenten, in contrast, is a creative and intelligent "winger" whose plans, though they may back-fire, never fail.

**Reason 3:** Tenten is mankind's translator to all things Neji: she is the only person on Earth that understands "Neji language." By just looking at him or listening to his monosyllable catchphrase "Hn" this gifted woman is able to easily decipher what the young Hyuga is saying.

**Reason 4:** Have you ever seen Neji smile or laugh? I have! I am absolutely, positively sure that the only human being capable of making that occur is Tenten. (FYI: He is even sexier when he smiles and you should hear that laugh! It's drool worthy.) How she does it is a complete mystery to me, but I give her two thumbs up for stirring the impossible.

**Reason 5:** She is the only person that he speaks with on a daily basis even though he doesn't have to. What's more, the topics that they discuss are nothing that one would expect Hyuga Neji to engage in; for example: disputes centered around which Cartoon Classic is better - The Flintstones or Loony Toons?

**Reason 6:** Their teamwork is impeccable – both on the battlefield and off. Leave Neji and Tenten to complete a task together and the results will be flawless.

**Reason 7:** Tenten is an exceptionally considerate, animated and loving spirit while Neji is a stoic, mildly arrogant and impassive gentleman. She balances him so well: her exuberance to his calmness, her enthusiasm to his stoic demeanor, her gentleness to his ruthlessness, her soft womanly curves to his hard frame. Remember that ancient saying? "_Opposites attract."_

**Reason 8: **Tenten is able to pull out that stick that is firmly wedged up Neji's ass which causes him to be all the aforementioned things (stoic, mildly arrogant and impassive). She forces Neji to be less brusque in his remarks and less uncaring in his actions - even though she sometimes has to resort to using a few kunai, katanas, senbons, etcetera to cause it, she does it.

**Reason 9: **They have maintained a completely platonic relationship for as long as they have known each other. They can proudly be a testament of _"We were friends before we were lovers"_ as Neji and Tenten have a firm, deep connection which they have kept intact for years without physical contact. (Well that's what they let on anyway; who's to know that they're not prowling beneath the sheets behind our backs?)

**Reason 10: **She loves him! Unlike the obsession that we fangirls share for him, she honestly loves him; every single thing that she does strongly reflects it - from her infectious smile to a simple look, all her actions prove her undying, indisputable and unconditional love for our stoic prince. It's as if every fiber of her being is instinctively wired and finely tuned to his frequency and absolutely nothing else exists when she's around him.

_Neji and Tenten simply belong together…._

*** Ten Reasons why Neji and Tenten Belong Together ***

Neji sighed tiredly as he realized what his uncle's intentions were: he was arranging a marriage between him and Tenten. Slowly running a palm down his face in frustration, he analyzed the situation. Everything in the article was entirely true (well…except that last line) but why would his uncle believe that he could marry him off to Tenten for those mere reasons. She was a _friend_ that he couldn't afford to lose and he expected Hiashi of all people to recognize that. He trusted and admired her above anyone else; she brought sunshine to his world when the sun failed. Their relationship hadn't suffered from them sleeping together but this certainly could be a big problem. Even though Tenten loved him, he treasured her too much to allow her to marry a man who could never return her feelings.

'_**Yeah right,'**_ his inner thoughts threw back cynically, _**'she was the best you ever had. You dreamt about her for almost a whole week afterwards, or have you forgotten?'**_

How could he forget? After his sever lapse in judgment, the Gods had chosen to punish him by making her the star of his dirty dreams for days on end; dreams from which he didn't even want to wake. Eventually, when he became frustrated with waking up with his mighty soldier standing stiffly at attention every morning, he had succumbed to another severe lapse in judgment – extinguishing his passion with different women nightly in hopes of forgetting about Tenten. Nevertheless, it was _her_ face that he saw whenever he was with them and it was _her_ name that tickled the tip of his tongue. Every night, he'd been left sated but unsatisfied.

Their fingers felt like nails against his skin when compared to her feather-light touches that left a delicious trail of liquid lava in their wake. Their kisses were poison when rivaled with the soft, rose petals that she pressed firmly against his. Their moans didn't even come close to stroking his ego like Tenten's did. Her pliant body had complied with his every command, rewarding all his actions with her provocative purrs. Somewhere during the act of making love to her, he'd been stricken with the conviction that they were meant to do this together – that _he _was the only man that had the right to worship her body so intimately and the thought appalled him. He was plagued by guilt the morning after when she left for her mission. Ultimately, he had taken her first kiss, her virginity and her heart that night and that made him no different than the man who he did it to protect her from.

'_**I still don't understand why you're beating yourself up over this,' **_his inner voice quipped again, it would have probably also rolled its eyes if it could. _**'She asked you to do it…it was the only way that you could protect her.'**_

Be that as it may, it had taken a good amount of time before he could actually face himself in the mirror. But when Tenten came bounding into his room in the middle of the morning two weeks after the incident when her mission finally ended, sheer glee radiating from her face, she muttered words which probably saved him from committing suicide.

"Guess who's only ever slept with one man?"

His emotionally ravished self soon disappeared. Everything between them eased back to normal two more weeks later; however, the slightest touches and accidental plummets that occurred during training constantly reminded him that a fire still burned within him that she alone could satisfy. So, Neji did the wisest thing that anyone could do when battling with unremitting lust.

He trained. He completely absorbed himself in mastering the last two Hyuga techniques that had thoroughly stumped him in the past, so much that he had given up on them. In other words, he ignored her; but he had managed to eventually ace the jutsus, earning the respect of his whole family. In the course of time, a month to be exact, he finally flushed all sexual thoughts which revolved around Tenten out of his system and sorted through his emotions. In the end, he determined that she was – and would only be – his best friend. He wanted nothing more from her.

'_**Speak for yourself fool,'**_ his insufferable inner voice mocked again. _**'She means a lot to you; you just don't want to admit it because you find it hard to fathom opening up to her more than you already have…you don't want to make yourself completely vulnerable, allowing someone in a place so intimate that they could actually hurt you…'**_

'_Absurd!'_ Neji countered impassively, considering himself insane for actually replying to his own thoughts. Obviously, he had a huge matter to settle in the morning and - when he woke up - his uncle would definitely be the first person that he spoke with.

* * *

Apparently, it seemed as if his uncle had been reading his mind because as soon as the first few rays of sunshine peeked through his curtains, there he was knocking on his door.

"Good morning, nephew; I trust that you slept well." He greeted – all sunshine and rainbows - as he let himself in. Discreetly, he observed Neji's appearance; though his nephew couldn't be considered disheveled, he was a far cry from impeccable. Neji trailed Hiashi with his eyes as he paced to a nearby armchair and made himself comfortable.

"Yes Hiashi-sama," Neji replied measuredly as he took a seat opposite his uncle.

"We have finally narrowed down the group of women from which you will select your wife," Hiashi commented candidly, dismissing his light teasing and assuming a serious tone in the space of merely a second.

"Really?" Neji asked, somewhat surprised, "That was quick."

"The candidates are Hatsumi, Mariko and Tenten." With a smirk, Hiashi observed the well-hidden horrified look that crept across his nephew's cool façade. His maddening smirk grated on Neji's nerves more than Lee's singing during his favorite musical.

Neji was mentally berating himself for naively digging himself into this hole. He had never regretted entrusting his uncle with a decision more in his life. Committing himself to either woman also meant risking a friendship; with Mariko and Hatsumi he would not only be jeopardizing his relationship with them but also his relationship with their suitors; but, with Tenten, he'd risk losing one of the most precious persons in his life.

Running his fingers through his hair in an effort to calm himself and mollify his thoughts, Neji deliberated his choices. Hatsumi was the picture-perfect image of an aristocratic Hyuga: she emitted power, breathed elegance, and radiated superiority. She was probably the most blue-blooded member of the whole family as she was descended from a line of pure Hyugas: her family strictly didn't couple with outsiders; therefore, if they were ever to produce progeny, the child would most likely be another prodigy with an exceptional Byakugan. Oftentimes, she had accompanied Neji to political meetings in other nations during which they acted as representatives for their clan. During the less formal meetings, such as cocktail parties and business lunches, she always initiated and carried on the conversations while Neji only gave his input when necessary. Even more, she seemed to have given herself the responsibility of saving him from those awkward confrontations which involved their business associates asking him out on a date and him (of course) declining. All things considered, she was too valuable to loose due to a doomed marriage.

Hyuga Mariko was another story. She was the product of a marriage between a Hyuga councilman and a woman from a powerful clan in Iwagakure. Although she wasn't as adept with her Byakugan as Hatsumi and Neji were, whatever she lacked in skill with her Byakugan she made up for with her knowledge of and ability to execute and combat various ninjutsu. In the past, during their early teens Neji had never seen her as more than the black sheep of the clan who was much too kind, gentle and unsuspecting to even be ordained with the Hyuga name. However, his opinion changed when she directed her kindness to him during a time of need.

When his colt, Spirit, had been diagnosed with a severe case of colic while he was away on a week long mission, she had nursed him back to health with some help from the stable hands until he returned. She had even slept in the stable with the horse so that she could better monitor him and had sometimes taken him out for a walk in the middle of the night to prevent him from rolling when he seemed like he was going to. Of course, when Neji returned, he assumed her duties (even so she still came to help out from time to time) and within two weeks Spirit was back to his old self. They had been good friends ever since; in fact, he had offered to help her refine her Byakugan in order to express his gratitude. Eventually, she also became Tenten's substitute training partner whenever he wasn't around.

And you couldn't know Mariko without knowing her longtime lover, Aburame Shino. They had known each other since they were in diapers as their mothers were childhood friends; and, if Neji's memory served him correctly, they'd been together for the last four years. He was pretty sure that they'd be married soon because if SHINO could listen to an entire Rebecca Black album with her then he was pretty sure that the poor guy was very much whipped. So, Hyuga Mariko was a definite no.

Now that left Tenten: his teammate, his right-hand, his confidant, his best friend. She was one of the few people who he would thoughtlessly risk his life to protect. He admired her for finding a reason to live when the world had been nothing but cruel to her as a child and he respected her for having the tendency to meet everyone with a smile. She had always helped him to fight his demons while he sheltered her from hers. With her influence, he had become the man who his dad always wanted him to be and she was undoubtedly the most important person in his life. He cared deeply for her and he couldn't afford to lose her.

"Who do you want me to pick, uncle?" Neji asked, after taking a few slow deep breaths.

"Tenten," Hiashi answered assuredly, "I'm certain that you prefer her above the others."

"How did she even become a candidate?" Neji understood how Mariko and Hatsumi had fallen into this situation -as members of the (former) Main House they couldn't reject any duty which the clan gave them; arranged marriages were the norm for girls like them in his family. However, he couldn't help but wonder how Tenten became involved in this matter.

"I asked her," Hiashi deadpanned, "and she agreed." With those words everything suddenly became clear to Neji. It was quite obvious that this was his uncle's deliberate attempt to limit his options, forcing him to pick the particular girl who he had in mind (Tenten, in this case). If he wasn't royally piqued at the moment, he'd compliment his uncle for his ingenious plan.

"You are setting her up for heartbreak," Neji muttered with a scowl, after releasing a longsuffering sigh, "I don't love her."

"Really?" Hiashi challenged, "I think that you care for her more than you'll ever admit and that you might love her without even knowing it…the concept is quite foreign to you, so I wouldn't deem you qualified enough to identify love when it's staring you in the face."

"And you can?" Neji countered flippantly, "Last I checked, you went down without a fight when you were informed that your beloved was arranged to marry my father." When he noticed the crushed look that flashed briefly through his uncle's eyes he immediately regretted saying it – it was thoughtless, downright disrespectful and completely churlish. It wasn't like him to spew such words out of anger, especially to his uncle.

"I'm sorry," Neji murmured earnestly, bowing his head in apology, "I was out of line."

"No," Hiashi retorted in a tone free of infliction, "You never say anything that you don't mean…"

An uncomfortable silence lingered between them, slowly making the atmosphere more ill at ease than it needed to be, before Neji finally voiced the question that refused to stop plaguing him.

"Why _her_?" he finally demanded, his voice laced with a rainbow of emotions.

Hiashi sighed somewhat exasperatedly before meeting his nephew's gaze – his eyes bearing nothing but understanding and sympathy. "She makes you happy," came the simple answer, "you laugh and smile more when you're with her than with anyone else. Take my advice, that's all you could ever ask for in a wife. She's perfect for you and if you let her go…you'll regret it for the rest of your life." The fact that Hiashi could be speaking from experience wasn't lost to Neji.

The more he thought about it, the more the decision weighed down on his mind; he analyzed the situation from every angle: envisaging the possible scenarios and predicting the repercussions of any actions he could take as well as how they would affect him, the clan and whichever woman he selected.

"I see that you noticed the article," Hiashi muttered frivolously (effectively dragging him away from his musings), tilting his head towards the publication for emphasis.

"Although your intentions are heartfelt," Neji began, ignoring his uncle's previous remark, "I believe that you failed to grasp that I have much more to lose than to gain from this…I _can't_ lose her…and regardless of the many ways I imagine it, that always seems to be the result."

Hiashi watched as his nephew ran a palm down his face in frustration. Truthfully, he hadn't expected him to open up to him that much about the difficulty of making this decision and – since he had been in similar shoes before – Hiashi personally knew that it wasn't an easy choice.

"I've seen comrades try to go beyond the point of friendship only to ultimately loose each other so I'd rather not take that chance, nor have I ever been interested in taking that chance," Neji whispered calmly, the anger in his voice becoming more evident as he continued, "And yet you are forcing me to make that choice!"

"I wouldn't if I saw no reason to, Neji," Hiashi confessed, somewhat sympathetically, as he matched his nephew's hard glare. "I'm very confident that you'll choose her; simply because, if you were lying half dead in the desert with the option of water or Tenten, you'd choose her every time…You are a much better man than I am, Neji; your father would have been immensely proud of you if he had lived to witness your achievements. You fought your way out of what you once believed was an inescapable destiny. You've established yourself as a legend among the Hyuga, as well as Konoha, by doing what no Hyuga has ever come close to doing before. You've helped to banish the very thing that made you believe that you had no control over your destiny in the past and you've never forgotten your convictions along the way. You are no coward Neji…don't run away from her and what she has to offer. It won't hurt to let her in a little bit more…Don't make the same mistake that I did."

Neji was shocked into silence at his uncle's words. He directed his attention to the scenery outside of the windows in his room in order to avoid the serious atmosphere. It was a lovely morning filled with modest sunshine and cool, untamed breeze. Typically, he and Tenten would be out training by now…

"Oh, and for the record," Neji looked up to see his uncle standing at the door on his way out. "Both your father and I loved your mother…all the same, he was more deserving…When you make this decision, Neji, don't choose who you think the elders or your friends expect you to pick or even who's best for the clan…choose who's best for you." And with that said, he left his nephew to his thoughts; he was absolutely sure that Neji was currently more confused than a chameleon in a bag of Skittles.

* * *

After his uncle had left, Neji had spent two hours lying down in his bed staring at the interesting patterns the sunlight painted on the walls in his room while contemplating who he should choose to spend the rest of his life with. Marriages in his clan were forever; there were no divorces, no legal separations, no annulments…the only thing that could separate a husband and wife was death. After all, they couldn't afford to lose any Hyuga children to divorce settlements thus risking the secret of the Byakugan falling into the wrong hands.

Now, he was on his way to Tenten's apartment; he had made his choice…and it was her. To be honest, he had chosen her since the truth in his uncle's words had come crashing down on him like a tsunami; in actuality, he had spent the rest of the time in his room preparing himself for the upcoming confrontation. In doing this (marrying her, that is), he'd be giving her something that she had been deprived of for most of her life, but nonetheless, downright deserved – a family. The Hyugas were like family to her; as she had spent countless hours at the compound with him when they were children, the place was her second home. She knew pretty much everyone and most of them had warmed up to her since she was a kid.

'_**It's rather hard to **__not__** like her,' **_his inner voice remarked.

Besides, if he didn't pick her, he was certain that it would take a toll on their relationship. Tenten loved him with every fiber of her being and – regardless of the fact that he couldn't return her feelings – he acknowledged that. He wasn't cruel enough to blatantly throw her affections back in her face by choosing someone else and, in turn, rejecting her and everything that she'd ever offered him. Plus, he wasn't selfish enough to break up either Mariko's or Hatsumi's relationships.

'_**Here we are,'**_ his inner voice commented as Neji finally stood before Tenten's apartment door. He knocked firmly and waited for a response.

"Come in, it's open!" her cheery voice called from inside the house. He found her in the living room watching her flat screen television attached to the living room wall. When she noticed him, she greeted him with her sunshiny smile.

"That's rather careless," Neji mumbled/scolded, in reference to her leaving the door open.

"I was expecting you," she retorted, rolling her eyes. The statement promptly reminded him of why he was standing in her apartment. Closing the distance between them he took a seat beside her on the couch while she eyed him curiously.

"I assume that Hiashi's spoken to you," she half stated/half asked as she reached for the remote to kill the TV.

"Yes," Neji replied with a nod, effectively ridding the room of all sounds.

The ball was in his court now, how this conversation played out depended entirely on his next words. He had rehearsed what he was going to say to her in his head back at the compound but, for some strange reason, he had forgotten all his lines; for some strange reason, Hyuga Neji was nervous. He looked over at Tenten and noticed that she wasn't much better off: she sat staring at him, fiddling with a lock of her hair, all the while trying to make the fact that she was shifting her gaze between him and the wall at an average speed of three shifts per second look natural.

Quite frankly, the situation was hilarious and pretty soon Neji found himself laughing like a hyena and – as confused as Tenten was – she couldn't help but to join in. They could never be awkward around each other for too long and whenever that uneasy atmosphere emerged, one of them would make it disappear – someway, somehow. When the sudden burst of mirth died, they'd finally managed to lock eyes again.

"I chose you," Neji revealed straightforwardly, eyes glowing with a myriad of emotions that Tenten couldn't quite discern. Upon hearing his words, her cheeks became dusted with a delicate shade of pink that spread all the way to her ears. Her heart rejoiced in her chest when she realized what the statement meant for both of them.

"I just wish that _you _had chosen someone else," he added temperately.

"I don't want anyone else," she affirmed while climbing into his lap; and – in a way that only Tenten could do – she convinced him that it was true with her expressive, tell-all eyes.

He gently cupped her cheeks with his pianist fingers as he stared into her eyes, giving her access to the deepest recesses of his soul – an act that she alone was ever allowed to perform. "I can't love you, Ten."

Oddly enough, his admission didn't hurt as much as it should have. Ever since that night, she couldn't bring herself to believe that he didn't love her; she wasn't clinging to false hope or had become so delusional that she was beginning to see what wasn't there but she knew Neji and – as inexperienced as she was – she was absolutely sure that he had made love to her in that moment. He hadn't taken advantage of her and then thrown her aside like a horrible one night stand. He had worshipped her body – making the experience so romantic and unforgettable that she could still feel his butterfly kisses along her neck, his soothing voice in her ear, and his heated hands against her skin.

"I don't care," she muttered with a weak smile as she softly traced lines along his strong jaw with her fingers. "If I loved you only expecting you to love me in return then I'd just be being selfish…My heart belongs to you and nothing will ever change that."

Due to her confession, something (his mind, his heart, his soul; he didn't know) conjured a storm within him, demanding that he recalled his words. Her earnest declaration tormented him. It reminded him of the guilt that he'd felt so many months ago and of the guilt he'd been feeling ever since he'd told her that he couldn't return her feelings. She deserved so much better…so much more than he could ever give…and yet she persisted on bestowing him with a love so unyielding and unconditional that it literally hurt to not be able to return it.

"How much more do you expect me to take from you?" Neji groaned in a strangled voice, finally revealing to her what had been tormenting him.

'_He's still beating himself up for that?'_ Tenten thought, astonished, as she stared into his haunted eyes.

* * *

**Flashback**

* * *

"_What's wrong?" Neji asked, concerned, as soon as he noticed Tenten's appearance. To anyone who didn't know her as well as he did, she would seem as flawless as usual but Neji could easily detect that something was amiss. For one thing, the tips of her nails were bumpy and uneven as if she'd been biting them for hours: she was nervous. On top of that, she was quiet – she hadn't made a sound since he entered her room five minutes ago; which meant that she doubted herself about something. But the reason that screamed to Neji that something was absolutely awry was the fact that Tenten didn't smile when she saw him; instead her face was a blank sheet as she stared at him apprehensively, biting her lips._

"_Tenten, what's wrong?" he queried again, more forcefully, as he stepped closer to her in hopes that his presence would bring her some sort of comfort. It did. Within just a few seconds, she languidly dismissed the nervous behavior and - running a soothing hand through her hair – she sighed, "I've been assigned a mission." He stared at her quizzically, wondering why she had been stressing out over a mission. _

"_What type of mission?" he asked skeptically, deducing that that was where the problem lay. "And why wasn't I also assigned?" The Hokage always paired them together for missions; she'd even praised their teamwork as being the best she'd ever seen. In fact, Neji could count the amount of times that he'd never worked with Tenten on a mission on one hand._

"_One of __**those**__ missions," she groaned and – when she realized that he clearly didn't understand what she meant – she further expounded, "…a seduction mission."_

_Tenten watched, spellbound, as his face skipped through emotions like scenes in a film: shock, concern, anger. "We'll see about that," he growled as he stormed out of her place like a raging bull. Quickly, Tenten raced to catch him before he left; she stopped him at the door __just in the nick of time_.

"_Where are you going?" she demanded, gently pushing him back into her room. _

"_To Lady Tsunade to have someone else assigned the mission," he bristled, flames of anger blazing in his eyes. "You're a virgin and…after what you went through as a child, I can't imagine you giving that away to a total stranger for whatever shitload of money they are paying you to carry out this mission." She caught his arm as he moved to walk away from her again. _

"_She can't Neji; they are short staffed on kunoichi right now…plus," she uttered bashfully, nervously rubbing the back of her neck, "…I'm his type." _

'_**Oh hell no!' **__Struggling with his temper, Neji snarled under his breath, "That gives her no right to use you as a whore!" He glowered down at her – confusion evident in his pearlescent orbs – as he tried to decipher why she wasn't as angry as he was. She fidgeted uncomfortably under his scrutiny, focusing her attention on anything but him. _

"_It's a mission that every kunoichi has to undertake at least once," she exhaled dejectedly, "and I have no right to expect special treatment when many women before me have sucked it up and done what their country needed them to do." The confusion and sympathy lighting his eyes nailed her to the door. Fiddling with her nearly transparent, formfitting, blue blouse and directing her gaze to the ground, she muttered: "And, Hokage-sama said that I probably won't have to sleep with him…I'm capable of getting the information out of him without having to resort to that…"_

_He tenderly lifted her chin with his pianist fingers, matching eyes with her. "Have you ever even kissed a boy?" She shook her head in the negative and, once again, averted her eyes to her oh-so-interesting walls. Firmly grasping her chin, he brought her eyes back to his and leaned in closer before sincerely cautioning: "Then you're not ready Ten."_

_Dousing the mindless inferno blistering with indignation within her as a result of him blatantly spotlighting the fact that she was awfully inexperienced, she took advantage of his words. "I know," she agreed, placing a hand on his chest to help straighten herself so that she was almost his height. "And that's what I called you over here to help me with…" _

_His eyebrows wrinkled in bemusement as he tried to decode the meaning behind her words. When his eyes widened in comprehension, he slowly backed away from her. "Tenten…no…I…I can't do that."_

_Determinedly, she held his gaze, wordlessly begging him to understand. "I couldn't think of anyone else, Neji." His emotions swirled like a tornado in his eyes, violent and conflicting. "It's the only thing I have left as mine…so I deserve to give it away to whoever I wish." Rivers gradually descended the contours of her cheeks, dampening her eyelashes on their way._

"_He would make it hurt," she added miserably._

"_Stop," Neji pleaded, his voice laden with a tonne of bricks. _

"_I would be so afraid," she continued, hugging her shivering form._

"_Tente-" _

"_And I don't love him…" Neji felt like she had just slapped him in the face as waves of emotion punctured his heart. His mouth went completely dry as he regarded her; shivering before him as silent tears crept down her face. She looked so small and fragile… _

_Sex was always a delicate matter for her. After all, when she was younger she was forced to listen to her mother being raped while she was locked in a closet in a frantic attempt to keep her safe; she sat quietly in there for hours - too scared to help her yet too obedient to defy her mother's command that she stay there no matter what happened to her. She hadn't even been able to relate the story to him until they were fifteen; and since then he had vowed to protect her from ever reliving the experience._

"_You promised that you would protect me," she sniffed, piercing him with brown eyes swimming with tears. Her calculated words cut through his heart like a kunai and - as he observed her pitiful appearance - he knew that he wouldn't…couldn't deny her this. "That was a low blow," he muttered as he closed the space between them in measured strides. _

"_Sometimes, you have to hit below the belt," she replied with a guilty smirk. Gently, he rested his forehead against hers and stared __tentatively _ into her eyes; humbly allowing her entrance to his soul. 

"_I…I don't…" he stuttered, trying to voice his feelings yet wanting desperately to spare her of the rejection. _

'I don't love you.'

"_I know," Tenten answered softly, "…but I don't mind." She was so close to him that he was practically sharing air with her. Hesitantly lifting his right hand, he lightly __wiped _the tears from her cheeks. 

_For what seemed like forever, they stood there like statues in their own little world while their breaths mingled together and their hearts played cacophonies in their chests. Tangling a hand in her hair, he suddenly pulled her closer to him and meshed their lips together. Her lips felt soft and warm against his thin, smooth ones as she eagerly reciprocated the kiss. She released a gasp as he gently bit her bottom lip and he immediately took advantage of it; with expert ministrations, he snaked his tongue into her mouth and explored every crevice of her warm cavern. His tongue left an undying trail of heat in its wake as it teased hers into a fight; all the while, he tried to ignore the fact that she tasted heavenly – like a blend of cookies and his favorite tea mixed with an addicting, underlying flavor that was purely Tenten. Her sweet, intoxicating feminine scent assaulted his nose and her soft, willing lips held him prisoner; though, when she released (irrefutably) the sexiest moan that he had ever heard (it slithered from her lips, down his spine and straight to his groin), Neji knew that he was done for. Subconsciously, he pleaded with Kami for control._

"_You're going to regret this," he warned as he pulled away from her, earning a whimper in response as she automatically pushed herself closer to him. Her eyes were hazy, her cheeks were cutely flushed and her delectable lips looked…thoroughly kissed._

"_No I won't," she protested, with a firm shake of her head, "I love you." _

_For some reason, those words gave Neji the confidence he needed to actually do what she wanted him to do. Firmly fisting his shirt, he pulled the fabric over his head and threw it somewhere on the floor. When he brought his gaze back to her, her cheeks burned as she stared at him appraisingly, her mouth hanging open. His shirtless body usually had that effect on women…_

"_On second thought…you can forget everything that I just said…I can't compete with that," she stammered in embarrassment as she basically ran away from him towards her bed. When she was halfway there, she felt his strong arms wound themselves around her and pulled her flush against his body. Placing butterfly kisses along her neck, he warmed Tenten in places that she didn't even know heat could settle. "I beg to differ," his husky voice breathed in her ear, making her melt like goo in his arms. She felt his lips curl into a smirk against her skin when she shuddered against him. _

_Indisputably, he was going to make this the best night of her life. _

* * *

**End Flashback**

* * *

She held his chin in her soft hand before whispering reproachfully, "You didn't take anything but what was willingly given to you! I don't regret it…the only person in this room, who seems to, is you…" Nonchalantly, she bowed her head, avoiding his scrutiny.

'_**It's more like I regret not regretting it,'**_ his inner voice provided, hoping that Neji would voice the confession.

"I've woken up in the middle of the night so many times, feeling cold and lonely because you weren't there with me," she admitted, her voice thick with emotions.

When she finally regarded him again, Neji realized that she was crying. Tears cascaded down her cheeks like silent waterfalls which illuminated her eyes, making them sparkle with the same outstanding luster as diamonds. He always thought that her eyes were most beautiful when she cried; the way they shimmered through the glistening teardrops was simply breathtaking.

"I'm not asking you to love me, Neji," she whispered, tentatively wrapping her arms around his neck, "I'm begging you to let _me_ love you…so hard that I can drill holes through your nightmares, paving bricks to guard your heart from the pain you've always locked away, building a dam so strong that when your flesh feels weak, your spirit won't break…I need you to allow me to show you the depth of my feelings because I just can't continue to burn with desire for you and keep quiet about it. Sometimes, it hurts to look at you…but it hurts more when I don't and being away from you feels like I'm being cut open with jagged pieces of glass sharper than any weapon I'd ever wielded before…I just can't pretend anymore, Neji."

As her earth brown eyes burned into his quicksilver ones, they caressed him with a love so real that it stilled his heart and took his breath away. Nevertheless, he could still see the look that lurked behind it; she seemed fragile…torn apart. He was suddenly struck with the realization that this was his doing; he had made her cry…he had brought this defeat on her like a guillotine to her neck and it repulsed him.

Then – for some inexplicable reason - Neji lost it. Maybe it was because he wanted to stop her tears. Maybe it was because he had riddled himself with groundless guilt ever since he had fulfilled her request. Maybe it was because his hormones uncontrollably raged within him whenever he was this close to her…Or maybe – just maybe – it was because he wanted to.

Surprising them both, he met her lips in a searing kiss – making up for what he had deprived himself of for the past months with a passionate, bruising kiss that left them both breathless.

"I'll try not to break your heart but I'm not your prince charming," he whispered against her lips, his willpower failing to take him much farther from her – she was simply too addicting. Her eyelashes worshipped her flushed cheeks as she tried to bring herself out of the daze that his kisses usually left her in.

"I disagree," she muttered with that smile of hers that was especially reserved for him, her warm breath caressing his cheeks like the summer wind. Like the domino effect, he smiled back at her – with that smile of his that was especially reserved for her. She ran her skilled fingers through his hair while massaging his scalp – instilling such a calm in him that he couldn't find the resolve to pull away from her; and the next thing he knew, he was kissing her again (though she initiated it this time).

She pulled him down on top of her while she lied back on the coach - never separating her lips from his in the process. They broke apart when the television roared to life at a volume so high they could practically hear the built in speakers shaking. It seemed as if Tenten had accidentally turned on the TV when her arm nudged the remote and sent it plummeting off the coach. Glancing at the screen she noticed that the 'kissing in the rain scene' from The Notebook had interrupted (what she hoped would have been) a make-out session with the love of her life. A wry smile crept across her face as a rather foolproof plan came to mind.

"Neji," she challenged mischievously, "Let's make a bet."

"A bet?" was his skeptical response, as he cautiously regarded her.

"Yep. If you allow me to act out a few scenes from the most romantic films of all time with you tomorrow; I'll tell Hiashi that I changed my mind about marrying you – **if** you are 100 percent sure that you could never love me afterwards; **but** if you have the slightest notion that you might have feelings for me after it all, then I win and you owe me…something that I haven't thought of yet…but, how does that sound?"

"So we'll be reciting lines from the scripts of your favorite chick-flicks?" Neji asked, confused.

"No," she answered with a light laugh, amazed at how dry and pragmatic he made it sound. "That takes all the fun out of it. I'll just fit them into the day based on how we make our scenes play out."

Neji stared at her contemplatively; taking note of the confident grin sprawled across her face though she tried halfheartedly to feign nonchalance.

'_**You have nothing to lose, the way I see it,'**_ his inner voice murmured.

"Fine," Neji answered lightly with his typical self-assured smirk.

"Seal it with a kiss?" Tenten questioned impishly, staring at him with a look that was suspiciously close to puppy dog eyes.

'_**Now how can you deny that adorable face,'**_ his inner thoughts fawned, and for once, Neji agreed with him.

* * *

This was my first flashback! :) This chapter wasn't actually supposed to turn out like this but by adding that bet, I wanted to add some fluff to the next chapter for you guys (I at least owe you that for not updating for over a year).

**A/N: You know what I need you guys to do now, right? After all, I always ask for your input, so feel free to PM me (or you can leave it in a review) any movie scenes that you'd like to see in the next chapter. It'd be most convenient if you could leave the particular lines or a link to the scene instead of telling me to watch the whole movie (I don't have that much time on my hands). **


	4. Movie Montage

I watched so many movies, looking for some good clips that would help me to put this chapter together but the film industry let me down. It was too hard to find clips that could be worked into the Neji/Tenten dynamic that I had going so I gave up the search and this chapter was the result; I hope you guys like it.

I highly suggest that you read it with a romantic soundtrack playing in the background (it makes it so much better, believe me! XD). You could try the **Notebook soundtrack**, the **P.S. I Love You soundtrack**, or the **Inuyasha soundtrack**; they worked for me.

This chapter is dedicated to ip0ckeh for not giving up on me. Thanks for the motivation! Also, special thanks to Introverted-Verses, steenta112, SmiiLey-Chan, and Nokito-chan for recommending some movies; although I didn't use all that you proposed, I appreciate that you tried to help. So, without further ado...

_Lights, Camera, Action!_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

**Movie Montage**

* * *

Neji always considered himself as lucky as a robot in a lightning storm.

Whenever he pondered his future, he typically foresaw himself getting married somewhere in his mid-twenties due to the directives of a frustrated Hiashi fed up with his disinterest in producing offspring. He would select the demurest, most urbane lady in his artillery and commission her to wage a war for his heart…which she would inevitably fail, eventually dedicating her life to more noteworthy things such as shopping or hosting tea parties. Then, after about a year of unimpassioned 'wedded bliss', Hiashi would not-so-tactfully hint that he expected to see babies popping up like daisies before long. Following which, they'd have one or two kids who would be esteemed by the clan upon whom he'd bestow his perpetual love. And they'd live not-so-happily ever after…

The nightmarish notion was shattered when Tenten was casted for the part of his wife. She wasn't the prim doll with whom he could share a lifetime of companionable solitude. She could never be the prissy princess who hid behind a perfectly painted porcelain mask, afraid to show the world anything besides what was embedded into her since birth. She was utterly incapable of throwing on a costume of sweet serenity - stifling her opinions, emotions and headstrong personality – when the situation called for it.

Rather, she was the girl who'd pay more attention to improving her grip on her kunai than the dirt in her hair. She possessed more strength in a single pinky as opposed to the amount of sake Tsunade smuggled into her office. Tenten preferred to dance with weapons, showering a battlefield with steel like torrential rain instead of dating in hopes of finding Mr. Right; even so, many men in Konoha dreamed of going out with her. To Neji, she was the epitome of strength and beauty.

And, despite his claims that he despised the idea of making her his wife, he conceded – somewhere deep within the abysmal, mudded jungle that was his heart…that he might be lucky after all.

* * *

The minute Neji awoke he was greeted by two pensive, doe eyes. Tenten sat on the edge of his king-sized bed, fingering the immaculate sheets. She was practically looking through him – too absorbed in her thoughts to even recognize that he was wide awake.

"Tenten?" She jumped, startled by his sudden speech. "What are you doing here?"

She gaped at him for an eternity, holding her opinion prisoner behind bars of teeth.

"Tent-"

"Look, Neji...I love you but let's leave that out of this. I don't want to be someone that you're settling for. I don't want to be someone that anyone settles for. Marriage is hard enough without bringing such low expectations into it, isn't it?" She muttered, the words barely passing her lips as if she never wanted them to escape.

His eyes narrowed as he took in the way she shielded herself upon making the comment. Her body was completely averted from him and her eyes betrayed nothing. Reaching across the sheets, he grasped her hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

"You could never be someone that anyone _settles_ for," he chastised, blaming grogginess for his sentimentality.

A soft, slow smile crept across her lips. "I'll wait downstairs for you," she said lightly as she jumped off the bed and headed for the door, "We have a long day ahead of us."

He hummed his reply, stretching the laziness out of his body.

*** Teaching Him; Learning from Her ***

"You secretly want to lose this bet, don't you?" Neji asked incredulously as he noticed where Tenten was heading for.

"No," she snorted, tilting her head to see his priceless expression. "I want to revisit the most memorable moments of our childhood. This day isn't merely about me winning the bet, ya know; I'm trying to remind you of all the emotions I've ever stirred in you (past and present) and then, from there, it's up to you to figure out what I mean to you."

In her opinion, her strategy was foolproof. She didn't want Neji to marry her out of pity or because she compelled him to. At the end of the day, he'll be determining whether he wanted to preserve their memories as they were or make more cherished ones with her as his lover.

"That's your plan of action?" His brow rose cynically.

"Yeah." Her grin was confident, almost cocky.

It was relatively early in the day (probably around eight) so the playground was empty. Stepping closer to the fence, Neji gripped the chain-link and settled his gaze on a fairly familiar swing. Tenten, on the other hand, made her way to the gate and eventually plopped down in the very thing that had claimed Neji's attention.

"You never accepted my apology, did you?" she teased, setting her feet to work causing the swing to launch through the air.

"And why would I?" he scoffed, venturing to the object of his antipathy, "Because of you, I lied to my father for the first and only time."

"Oh please! I had no hand in that; you were simply too proud to tell him the truth."

"Yes, you're quite right. I suppose I should have rejoiced in recounting the tale?"

* * *

**Flashback**

* * *

_The playground was filled with the squeals and laughter of delighted children. It was the first day at the academy yet everyone seemed to know each other, with most of the kids gravitating to familiar faces…except for one. Hyuga Neji sat by himself in a swing a ways away from all the racket – hoping to get some peace and quiet while he waited for the mandarin ducks to arrive as they usually did at the start of spring. The beautiful creatures always stayed in the forest nearby the Hyuga Compound as they favoured the shallow lakes and ponds which it boasted. Ordinarily, Neji would wait for their arrival with his father but – for some unfortunate reason – the academy uncaringly robbed him of the opportunity and his father refused to let him stay home. _

"_Where did you hide it?"_

_The furious question brought his attention to a rather livid brunette. Her brown eyes glared at him with such intensity that he thanked his lucky stars that looks couldn't kill. Despite the fact that she radiated killing intent, he couldn't help giving her a once-over. Unlike most of the girls who had opted for shorts or pants and a simple blouse, she was donned in a light pink, short-sleeved dress with a black bow at the waist and a pink and white, intricately patterned skirt. Her hair was done in two loose, curly pigtails with short fringe-bangs falling over her forehead. __He had to admit, _she was kinda cute. 

"_Don't ignore me! Where's my kunai, you jerk?" _

_Tenten was absolutely incensed. First off, this guy who had stolen/hidden her favorite kunai (or so she assumed) had the audacity to ignore her though she seemed more than prepared to murder him unless he returned what's worse, her well-intentioned – yet severely misguided – mother had forced her to wear a ridiculously girly dress to the __**Ninja**__ Academy which, in turn, garnered much derision from the immature, male population. _

"_I don't have your kunai," Neji answered indifferently as the familiar sound of distant mandarin ducks reached his ear. _

"_Oh for heaven's sakes! Lee already told me that you did it so quit lying and give it back," she demanded again, hands balled up into fists at her sides._

"_Look, no matter how long you stand here screeching like a dying raven, my response will not change because I do not have your kunai…Now, could you please move?" Neji sneered, becoming aggravated with the irritating kid. He could tell that the ducks were a mere breath away and this girl – if she persisted in posing before him like a stubborn tree stump - would completely ruin the sight that he had anticipated all year. _

_**WHAM!**_

_It felt like he had just been hit by a hypersonic plane and then knocked off a sky scraper. His nose throbbed in pain and he was quite disconcerted with the fact that (for the first time in his life) he could smell and taste his own blood. The girl had delivered a hell of a sucker punch that sent him flying off the swing. But, as he lay there in the dirt, a flurry of red, orange, violet, white and black feathers assaulted the sky as the mandarin ducks meandered through various formations – showing off no doubt – while they cackled past the playground. From this angle, they had never looked more stunning._

"_What do you mean it wasn't him? You said that it was the obnoxious, brown-haired guy on the swing." Her voice drifted to him as he danced on the edge of consciousness. _

"_No. I said that it was the obnoxious, brown-haired guy on the swing __**with a dog.**__ You wasted your precious youth on an innocent, ill-fated fellow."_

_Redirecting her gaze to the other swing set, Tenten glimpsed Kiba getting up from the swing to take a polished kunai from Akamaru's mouth. Squinting to read the inscription, she realized – imperceptibly – that her name was engraved in it._

"_Oh."_

* * *

**End Flashback**

* * *

Tenten observed him in open-mouthed silence, amusement lingering in her honeyed eyes. Getting a rise out of him was a secret hobby of hers and he always made it so easy.

"I highly doubt that I brought you that much displeasure," she taunted with a smirk, childishly weaving the rope of the swing in a knot above her head and then spinning to undo it.

"I _hated_ you."

"Really?"

"Yes," Neji clarified, leaning down until they were face to face; his hands grasped the two ropes that supported the swing - trapping her between them. Tenten briefly wondered if he was trying to be menacing. "I despised you so much that if I had the last bit of water on earth and you were on fire, I'd _drink_ it."

To his chagrin, laughter bubbled from Tenten's lips like champagne from a bottle. "It's a good thing that I got on your good side then," she admitted coolly, blushing when she realized just how close he was.

* * *

**Flashback**

* * *

_After their initial meeting, the girl had tried to make amends but all her efforts ended in disaster. When she made him cookies they'd all been horribly burnt so she chose the best one and presented it to him as a peace offering. After the tiniest of bites, he gave it back to her, accusing her of trying to kill him. Then, when she had verbally apologized he completely ignored her. Naturally, she followed him around for three days straight refusing to relent until he accepted it; which, of course, led their fellow students to speculate about whether she had a crush on him. Finally, as a last resort, she had hugged him (it always worked for her parents) but he'd simply pried her hands away – as if she were the Plague - and ran off. After that, everyone was convinced that she had a crush on him._

_Neji had chanced upon her in the woods two weeks later. His first impulse was to take another route but once he observed that she cradled a bloodied duckling in her hand, he hid in the bushes nearby. A dead garden snake lay a few feet away from the girl with a kunai fixed firmly into its head and Neji shrewdly ascertained the situation. He slinked from his spot in the shadows, desiring to be helpful. However, as soon as he discovered that the girl was crying, he was tempted to flee._

_Hurriedly wiping at the evidence of her weakness, she met his eyes. "What are you doing here?"_

_He fidgeted awkwardly. "I live not too far from here."_

_The only sound in the clearing was nature's music and the girl's sniffling._

"_Her parents left her all alone…she almost died," the girl explained softly, her eyes void of emotion. Neji got the feeling that she wasn't just speaking for the duck. _

'_**Do psychos have feelings?'**__ he pondered.__** 'If a wounded duckling brings her to tears then she can't be that bad, can she?'**_

_Hesitantly, he knelt down before her and, in hopes of comforting her so that he could secure the duckling, he handed her some candy (it's what his father always did when he was upset). His only response was her puzzled and suspicious glare._

"_Consider it a peace offering," he reassured, putting on a smile to make it a bit more believable._

_After skeptically studying him, she apprehensively took the candy from him and plopped it into her mouth – all the while ensuring that the duckling nestled safely in her arms. _

"_Thanks." A staring contest ensued._

"_We can take it back to my house and have a doctor examine it…if you'd like." _

_Reluctantly, she nodded her ascent so he helped her up and led the way to his home._

* * *

******End Flashback**

* * *

"Why do I have to be blindfolded, again?" Neji scowled as Tenten dragged him through what he assumed was a forest.

"Because it'll ruin the surprise if you aren't," she chided, rolling her eyes; he'd been annoying her with the question most of the way. Apparently, Hyugas didn't like it when you took away their sight. Wait a minute…

"You aren't using your Byakugan to peek, are you?"

"No," he chuckled, "still, it crossed my mi-"

"We're here!" Tenten's delighted voice interrupted. Neji could just imagine the blissful grin adorning her face.

"Care to show me where exactly here is?"

He was about to voice the question again when he felt her warm breath tickle the hairs on the back his neck as she worked to loosen the complicated knot that fastened the cloth around his eyes. "Tada!" she whispered, grinning like a Cheshire cat, as she removed the blindfold and revealed what was undoubtedly the most beautiful sight he had ever beheld.

'_**Except her naked body beneath yours…'**_ his inner thoughts baited mischievously.

'_You are so vulgar...How is it that you reside within me?'_

'_**You are hardly as innocent and proper as you'd like to think.'**_

"Well?" Tenten asked anxiously, drawing him away from his internal battle.

The place was a paradise for the mandarin ducks: they covered nearly all of the swamp. As they sluggishly swam through the water in hordes, their multicolored reflections followed them, transforming the marsh into an exquisite water-colored canvas.

"How did you come to know this place?" Neji murmured - his voice barely above a whisper - as he gaped in awe of the scenery.

"You're father brought me here," she admitted, disappearing behind some bushes only to reappear with a rowboat.

"My _father?_"

"Yes, a little before…you know." She looked away upon seeing the nostalgia in his eyes.

"It was his treat to me for finally reaching 90 percent accuracy, but then we started talking and all of a sudden he got so serious...He said that he knew a day would come when I would love you more that he did and that I shouldn't allow it to frighten me…but that you probably would, and he was counting on me to help you overcome that."

She bit her lip at his bemused yet electrifying gaze, her brown eyes tracing the thin frown of his lips. It was quiet for a moment.

"Want to go for a ride?" she suggested in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Sure."

*** Teaching Him; Learning from Her ***

As Neji rowed the boat through the swamp, the clusters of mandarins parted, allowing them passage as peasants would do for a king. Besides the ducks, their only companion was silence.

"Why do you love me?" Neji demanded, after a lifetime of peering at her.

Matching his eyes with a soft smile, she said, "For the little things…and the big things…and when you put them all together, it's impossible not to."

"Things like?" he probed. He stopped rowing, bringing the boat to a stop in the middle of the marsh, and awarded her his undivided attention.

"There are only twenty-four hours in day, Neji. You can't possibly expect me to finish that list?"

"At least start it," he requested with an amused smirk.

"Prepare yourself," she warned, "This might become unbearably mushy."

"I'll try to survive it," he chuckled, his gaze softening once it landed on her nervous persona. Tucking a stray strand behind her ear, she returned her efforts to feeding the ducks. "Starting with the little things…" she began musingly.

"I love the way that you get upset whenever I am late for training but wait for me for as long as it takes anyway…I love that you helped me to prepare for the Jounin Exams even though you were busy fixing your clan…I love you for being brutally honest…I loved that, when you first kissed me, you counted to ten before daring to do it again - giving me ample time to stop you if I wanted to…and I love the way you're always there with your all-purpose hugs whenever I need them."

Thunder trumpeted in the distance, forewarning them of the soon coming rain.

"When I say 'I love you' Neji, it's not because I want you or because I can't have you. It has nothing to do with me. I love what you are, what you do, how you try. I've seen your kindness and your strength. I've seen the best and the worst of you. And I understand with perfect clarity exactly what you are…and you're a hell of a person." When she finally mustered the courage to meet his gaze, her eyes held an emotion that terrified and exhilarated him all at the same time.

His heart was a caged bird in his chest, fluttering ardently in hopes of freely expressing all that it contained. Mentally, he berated himself for coming out with the question even though he knew that this would be his reaction – the sincerity of her words always had a startling effect on him.

"You're right," Neji whispered with that smile solely reserved for her etched across his face. "It _did_ get mushy."

* * *

Neji toyed with the floral arrangement that served as the center piece of the table that they were currently sitting at in a café. Although they were soaked to the bone, he refused to sit near a window so that the sun could play a hand in drying their clothes, muttering some excuse about preferring the flowers at this table.

Tenten drummed her fingers against the table impatiently, wondering if the waitress had decided to take a trip to Suna before returning with their orders.

"Doing that won't get the waitress here any faster you know," he teased, still fiddling with the flowers.

"And doing that won't make those flowers any more perfect," she retorted curtly. "I'm surprised that she didn't return in a heartbeat considering how blatantly she was flirting with you."

Wisely, Neji chose not to reply; instead, he averted his attentions to the world beyond the glass windows, where people rushed past as the clouds released their burden on them. There was something about the rain that he always found quite relaxing; he wasn't sure if it was the comforting gust that came just before it did, or the peaceful music the raindrops created as they kissed the earth, or maybe it was that - amidst all the noise of the world - the rain provided a certain peace and quiet that couldn't be brought about by anything else.

A giggle from the lady before him brought him out of his reverie. She was staring at a couple not too far away from them, grinning from ear to ear.

"Well, that's hardly polite," he frowned, his eyes gentle as he watched her cheeks flush in record time at his comment.

"I can't help it…I haven't seen that in the longest while."

"Seen what?"

"That!" she discreetly gestured to the couple, gracing him with a look that clearly asked if he was blind. He regarded them again. They were enacting what had to be the most peculiar display of public affection he'd ever seen. They bent over the table to stare dreamily into each other's eyes while resisting the urge to kiss right then and there; they skirted from it, preferring to cuddle their faces as close as they could and at times kissing anywhere but their partner's lips. Then, just when he was about to look away from the two love birds, their lips met in a kiss so passionate that he thought someone would surely stop by and punish him for watching.

"That," Tenten clarified, smiling sheepishly, "That thing, that moment, when you kiss someone and everything around becomes hazy and the only thing in focus is you and that person...and you realize that that person is the only person that you're supposed to kiss for the rest of your life, and for one moment you get this amazing gift and you want to laugh and you want to cry because...you feel so lucky that you found it and so scared that it will go away all at the same time."

His eyes twinkled with an unasked question that she easily deciphered. _'Have you ever felt that?'_

"Yes," she whispered, looking out the window to avoid his intense gaze, "I've felt it."

Quietly, he took her hand in his, tenderly grazing the delicate skin with his thumb. He said nothing until she regarded him; she seemed confused by his affectionate display. Tenten's heart nearly leapt from her chest at his next words.

"Me too."

* * *

It was late afternoon and the last remnants of the day were fading. The sky was slowly changing colour from the bright blue of the daytime to mixed hues of red and orange and the purple mountains of the evening. The sun was sluggish in its descent, like a child refusing to go to bed. Then, in that flickering moment when day suddenly becomes night, Neji marveled at how uniquely night and day were connected: without one, the other would cease to exist.

He had to give her credit for her cunning in taking him here last. It was a place untouched by man and time, secluded and intimate. The meadow was shielded by oak trees which towered over the grass and wildflowers like giants, only second in beauty to the magnificent mountains that stood regally behind them. To be honest, he had forgotten the memory that lurked in this foggy meadow and with it the promise that he had made to her years ago…but as soon as he glimpsed a particular oak tree it all came flooding back to him.

* * *

******Flashback**

* * *

_When they were kids, the woods were a haven for them – a place where they went to retreat from the world of adults and their rules and expectations. And one particular day, as he ventured into its depths in an attempt to forget how harshly his grandfather had scolded him for disturbing him, she sprinted past him with her eyes holding more water than the Nile. Of course, he pursued her and eventually her dash through the forest led them to a meadow. Dejectedly, she collapsed in the middle of it, finally allowing her tears to flow freely. Her knees were folded beneath her and her head was buried in her lap. For the life of him, Neji couldn't comprehend why her broken and defeated state irked him so much. _

_He stood dumbfounded a few feet away, unsure of how to calm her; though he was quite certain candy wouldn't do the trick this time. Cautiously, he moved towards her like she was a wounded animal, ready to strike him at any time if she felt threatened. _

"_Tenten…are you okay?" As soon as the question left his lips he felt ridiculous for even bothering to ask. His only response was the sobs that she tried to suppress. Feeling helpless, he sat beside her and clumsily wrapped an arm around her for comfort. _

"_It's going to be okay." He wasn't sure who he was trying to convince – her or himself. They stayed like that for a few minutes, her crying her eyes out and him rubbing her back in (what he hoped was) a soothing manner. Slowly, she regarded him, her lips pulled into a wan smile. _

"_Thanks for trying Neji," she whispered, wiping her eyes with a finality that relieved him. His pearly gaze traced the tracks of her tears and he wondered what had upset his usually tough friend so much. _

"_What happened?" _

_She looked away, somewhat ashamed, deliberately ignoring his question. He used the opportunity to take in her appearance; she was wearing a dress fit for a princess and her face was polished with a thin layer of make-up. She looked stunning, like a model straight from a catwalk. Instantly, he looked away to hide his blush._

"_Let's just say," she muttered, plucking a primrose. "I allowed Kikyo and Megumi to get under my skin." _

_He gave her a skeptical look which told her that that explanation wouldn't cut it._

"_They invited me to play 'Castle' with them and said that I could be the Princess so I agreed because H-Haku was going to be the prince…which idiot in his right mind would give up such an opportunity?" Neji nodded to show that he was listening._

"_But it was just a cruel joke…right when we were about to say our "I do's", Megumi said that n-no one would ever want to ma-marry me because I was too ugly...right in front of Haku and everybody else and they just laughed like the mindless puppets that they all are."_

_He raised an eyebrow at her confession, confused as to why she even cared about what Kikyo and Megumi thought of her. They were the most annoying girls at the academy whose main focus was either staring at or talking about boys twenty-four hours of every day. And, if the rumours were true, they were also the ones who started his fan-club._

"_Since when do you care about what Kikyo and Megumi think?" She didn't answer, deciding to sniff the primrose in her hand instead. However, when he got up and walked away without a word, she regretted not answering. Curiously, she shifted to get a better view of what he was working on. _

"_Neji, what are you doing?" He gave her the coldshoulder, reveling in his revenge. She remained rooted to the spot – feigning disinterest. Just when she was about to give up the act to see exactly what he was creating, he returned, hiding something behind his back. Her curiosity was peaked._

"_Stand up," he commanded when he finally stood before her._

"_Why?" she challenged, although she followed his order anyway._

_For the briefest of moments, he seemed uncertain and his gaze wavered. Then, after a long mental pep talk, he got down on one knee (like they did in the movies) and asked the most grownup question any eight year old would ever ask._

"_Tenten, will you…um…marry me?" She looked like a deer caught in the head lights._

"_No," she rejected, aghast. Neji faltered. _"_No?"_

"_No," she affirmed, the definition of serious._

"_Why not?" he demanded as he rose to his feet, a tinge of anger and hurt in his voice.  
_

"_Why do _you _want to marry _me_?" she countered, her tone laced with disbelief. _

"_Because I think you're beautiful and I like you," he deadpanned. _

"_I-it's not that s-simple," she snapped, using her hair to hide her reddened cheeks as she folded her arms across her chest – stubborn as a mule._

"_It doesn't need to be complicated."_

"_Look Neji," she began smoothly, apprehensively stepping closer to him. "I'm really flattered…this means a lot more coming from you than it ever will coming from anyone else, believe me…but you're only saying this because I was down in the dumps."_

"_No," he lied, "…okay, maybe I was but that doesn't mean that I don't want to."_

"_It's not that simple," she repeated irritably yet she regarded him with the giddiest of smiles._

"_It doesn't need to be complicated." They eyed each other for eons until Tenten finally seized the makeshift ring he held in his thin fingers. Though it was simply a series of flexible twigs and wildflowers twined into a circle that most likely wouldn't fit any of her fingers, its beauty couldn't be denied._

"_Ask me again in a few years," she whispered, placing an appreciative kiss on his cheek. _

_In the end, they had decided to tie it to the nearest oak tree with a material that neither wind, rain nor snow could weather; agreeing to return for it when they were ready._

* * *

******End Flashback**

* * *

"I can't believe it survived after all these years," she exclaimed as she approached him, staring dazedly at the circle that dangled from a flimsy piece of string. They'd infused the string with both their chakra twelve years ago so that it would never break.

"It's time for you to make your decision now," she reminded, handing him the ring. "I have one last thing to say first though…You are too generous to trifle with me so I expect an honest response." He hummed his acknowledgement.

She swallowed nervously, fixing him with her earnest eyes.

"What happened between us that night three months ago taught me to hope as I'd scarcely allowed myself before; if you still believe that you can never love me, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes have not changed, but one word from you will silence me forever."

Closing the distance between them in a single step, she continued; hope flickered in her deep, brown eyes like a flame.

"If, however, your feelings have changed, I will have to tell you: you have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on."

His heart's bass beat hammered in his chest, making him lightheaded…or was that caused by her captivating eyes?

'_**Are you one of those people who get dumber as they age?' **_his inner thoughts chided flippantly,_** 'You were right to ask her before, now do it again.'**_

With a smirk, he moved closer to her – so close that she could feel his heartbeat. Gently, he lifter her chin; forcing earth brown to meet silver.

"Well then." The husky baritone of his voice sent ripples of electricity throughout her body. Gripping her dainty hand which held the ring, he crushed the object between their interlaced fingers as he placed a chaste kiss on her knuckles.

"You win."

* * *

This chapter was creeping with symbols; I wonder if any of you guys realized?

In traditional Chinese culture, _Mandarin Ducks_ represent a life-time couple as they are always in pairs and stay together forever once they have found their soul-mate. The male and female plumage of the Mandarin Duck are so unalike, _yuan-yang_ is frequently used colloquially in Cantonese to mean an "odd couple" or "unlikely pair." Additionally, the _primrose_ is a symbol of young love; it literally means "first rose." The _ring_ and the _sunset_ speak for themselves...Sorry for the lecture(?), I couldn't help it. :)

**Did you recognize any of the lines or the scenes? R&R.**


End file.
